The Devil's Backbone
by willowaus
Summary: With the race on for the cure, some will fall, some will rise, and some will go insane. Friendships end and new ones spark as secrets are revealed and what some believe to be the truth will turn out to be nothing but lies. While others may discover that they're not as different as they had believed. But will it matter if there is no world left? Set after 4x09. [Klaus/Caroline]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** **So new story. It pretty much picks up right from the end of 4x09 and will go AU from there. I want to thank Miranda first for being an amazing beta and looking this over and everything so that I felt confident enough to post it. **

**I know I updated Wicked Schemes like crazy with one or two updates a week but I will let you know right now that will not be happening this time. This one is much more research intensive plus I do not want to overwhelm Miranda with my words so I'll try to update once a week or so depending on so many different factors. **

**But I hope you enjoy the first chapter.**

* * *

It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it~**Friedrich Nietzsche**

* * *

Dead.

Everything he had worked to gain through the centuries—the loyalty he had believed was rightfully due to him, that he had cultivated, manipulated and demanded out of these werewolves who now were like him—was gone in one fell swoop. Perhaps he could have forgiven them breaking their Sire bonds, it would have been easy enough to fix that small problem with simple compulsion, but the fact that they had planned to kill him and thought that they could do so had earned them their deaths. Seeing them in the woods, waiting for him to arrive, standing there together to watch him die had sealed their fate more swiftly than when he had learned what had been transpiring.

He had given them relief from the torturous process of turning, no longer had they needed to endure the breaking of every bone in their body once a month. No longer did they need to worry about their lives ending in a mere sixty to seventy years. They were stronger, faster, infinitely better than they had been and all he had required was loyalty, doing as he asked when he asked it. Was that really too much to expect after the gift he had bestowed upon them?

He knew who was to blame, who had put the seeds of doubt into their ears and helped it fester into full blown mutiny. There had been no questioning until Tyler's return. No discord until the mutt he had first successfully transformed had stepped back into town, sire bond broken and thinking that he could best him in every way.

Klaus would have Tyler Lockwood's head one way or another, but at least thrusting Carol Lockwood's head under the water, watching the life drain from her eyes as she fought to live had given him some satisfaction. She had said that Tyler was all she had left in life and the fact was not lost on Klaus that Carol was all that the impudent boy truly had as well. Killing her had been easy and while he wished there had been more satisfaction in taking her life, he supposed leaving her for someone to find, knowing the heart wrenching grief that would knock Tyler to his knees would be enough for now.

The Lockwood boy hadn't been the only one involved though and he wondered precisely what part the two that had been his source of distraction during the day had played. It was probably that very thought that had him standing in front of the Salvatore's boarding house and listening to the conversation happening inside.

His rage hadn't dissipated; it still festered there beneath the surface, wishing to be unleashed on the next unsuspecting person, to be doled out to those who had thought once again that they could get some kind of upper hand over him. Perhaps he should have expected it, and to some degree he did. It wasn't as though he didn't know they were constantly using him, Stefan only working with him to benefit the useless doppelganger and Caroline…her part in everything cut him deeper than the rest. His feelings for her were becoming a nuisance, something he needed to either warp to his own advantage or stamp out in a way that didn't allow them to linger beneath the surface, waiting to be brought out again. Just as they had after her betrayal that had gotten Kol daggered by the bothersome quarterback.

Something told him that they wouldn't go away as he wished though, or else he would have rid himself of them months before, tore her from the world and watched the life leave her eyes. That judging, honest gaze never to shine in his direction again. That didn't mean he couldn't let them know he knew, let them know he wouldn't be trifled with again and that the two of them needed to watch their steps, to remind them exactly why he had the reputation that he did. And perhaps get some answers to the questions that were on a constant repeating shuffle in his head.

His eyes narrowed as he walked inside, knowing the two of them wouldn't be paying any particular attention to their surroundings. Klaus picked up a tall lamp as he continued on inside, tossing the shade to the side and unscrewing the bulb. He smiled sardonically at the two as he entered the room. Fear immediately filled his senses, wrapping around him and causing the blood running through his veins to pump just that bit faster. He'd always enjoyed the smell of it, had been bathed in it not even an hour ago, first from his Hybrids and then from the Mayor, and now here he was, walking into the room and receiving the same wonderful fragrance from Stefan and Caroline.

Stefan was up in seconds, no doubt ready to defend Caroline who had also risen, but didn't make any move to leave. Her gaze was fixed on Klaus' clothes, taking in the amount of blood, and Klaus could only imagine the scenarios that were going through her pretty little head. No doubt all of them had to do with the Lockwood boy and that rankled Klaus more than anything.

"Don't rise on my account, mate," Klaus directed Stefan, thrusting the lamp into his stomach and pinning the other vampire to the nearest wall. It would hurt, but it wouldn't cause any lasting damage. "Caroline and I need to have a talk."

"Caroline, _run_," Stefan urged through the pain, not liking the madness that seemed to dance in the Hybrid's eyes. He didn't think he had ever seen him look so crazed and wasn't sure what Klaus might do to her, especially after what had most likely happened. There was no way he would be in the living room with them, covered in blood, if Tyler's crazy plan had succeeded.

Caroline shook her head, not out of bravery, but she couldn't leave her friend to this madness. Especially when she knew Klaus could catch her before she ever left the room. Besides, she was pretty sure he would only like the chase. "You're alive," she murmured, crossing her arms across her chest in an attempt to showcase some bravado. Hopefully he didn't notice how much her hands were shaking.

"It was all an elaborate lie, wasn't it, sweetheart?" Klaus asked, closing the distance between the two of them. He noted the shaking of her hands, the slight tremor in her body as he stopped in front of her. The way she tried to raise her chin defiantly, to show him she wasn't frightened.

"You'll have to be more specific in your questioning," Caroline told him, silently berating herself as soon as the words left her mouth. The last thing she should be doing was goading him, not when he was like this.

She didn't like the slow smirk that spread across his lips, the way his eyes became more yellow, and she especially didn't like when he crashed her into the wall behind them, pinning her to it with his hands pressing to the wall on either side of her. The old plaster had cracked and it scraped her back, opening up a deep gash. She could smell the blood that was no doubt trailing down her back and ruining her dress.

"Why don't we keep your answers to a simple yes or no for the time being," Klaus suggested, waiting for her to nod in acquiescence. "Now, your break up with Tyler was all part of an elaborate game. Playing on my feelings for you. My rather noble intentions, yes or no?"

"Yes." She flinched when he brought a hand to her face, expecting him to hurt her in some way. Instead he fingered a strand of her hair, drawing it between his fingers before tucking it behind her ear.

"A way to distract me from the unsiring he did to the others?" Klaus continued, putting all of the pieces together. No doubt Tyler had thought a free Caroline would make a worthy distraction, something to keep his mind off of the whereabouts of his Hybrids, something for him to focus on so he didn't notice if one was gone for any amount of time. It had been a good plan, one he had readily fallen for, just as he had for all of the little distractions her friends sent her to be. He would not make the same mistake three times.

"Yes." Caroline wondered how long he would keep asking what he undoubtedly knew was the truth from her. Why didn't he just pull out her heart? Rip off her head? She worried exactly how much he would make her pay for her part in everything.

"All to help the annoying little mutt in his thirst for power," Klaus murmured, eyes narrowing at the thought of _his_ Hybrids following Tyler.

"He's not a—" Caroline protested, but Klaus tapped a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Ah ah ah. Yes or no," he reminded, amused by the glare she directed at him. He had her life in his hands, could easily move his hand to her chest and rip out her heart and yet she still managed to be annoyed with him. It stirred a longing inside of Klaus that he was constantly trying to push down around her, this tiny, baby vampire that should not have any pull over him.

"Yes," Caroline bit out, glancing over at Stefan who was gritting in pain as he tried to pull the lamp out his body.

"And the pageant," Klaus began, grasping Caroline's chin so she would focus on him and _only him_. "Was that all a ruse as well?" The laughter, the way she had truly seemed to enjoy her time with him there. It hadn't been like when she had come to distract him from Stefan, even though that had been a delightful night up until her revelation. There had been genuineness to her interactions, a freeness that he had believed to be real, and wondered if he had been fooled about that as well.

Caroline swallowed, not wanting to answer that question. She had enjoyed their time there. He had been a ray of light among all of the other crap from the day, allowing her to actually have some fun amid the Elena drama and the stress of running the pageant. But she couldn't admit that to him. Wouldn't allow herself to do so.

"Tell me the truth, sweetheart, or I will remove Stefan's spleen," Klaus warned her, noting the hesitation in her answer. "It won't kill him but it's rather uncomfortable."

"No," she murmured, her voice barely audible.

Klaus smiled, noting the guilt in her eyes, pleased that she had in fact enjoyed that brief interlude between them. "No?"

"No," she spat out, the fire back in her eyes, further annoyed that her reaction the second time seemed to only broaden his smile. His face was mere inches from hers now and she wondered if he was going to try and eat her then and there like this or was he going to try and use compulsion. Fear tried to engulf her, to bring her to her knees at the thought of being powerless to him in the one way that terrified her above all others, but Caroline refused to show that kind of weakness in front of him.

"That's my girl," Klaus breathed, delighting in the way her fear turned so quickly to rage at his words. He stepped back, still blocking her into the wall, but no longer a breath away from her face. "One day, the loyalty that you mistakenly give him, which you dole out on these friends of yours who don't deserve an ounce of your time, will be mine."

"Never," Caroline promised, clenching her fists at her sides at the idea of that. She would never help him, never give loyalty to him. "I'd rather die."

"Caroline," Stefan rasped out, and she knew that tone, knew the exasperation in her friend's voice. Now was not the time to be antagonizing the Hybrid further, but like hell was she going to let Klaus think that she would ever be loyal to him.

"Don't fret so much, Stefan," Klaus stated, taking a step back from her, though he grabbed her arm, pulling her along with him and roughly shoved her into a chair as he glanced over at the Salvatore "If I were here to kill either of you I already would have done so." Returning his attention to Caroline, he smiled. He could almost see her trying to deduce a way out of their current situation. Pity her little ragtag band of misfits never seemed to use the intelligence housed inside that pretty little head. He wouldn't make the same mistake.

"I'd rather not stake you to the chair, love, so be a good girl and sit there while I have a chat with Stefan." Her eyes flashed with a fury he'd never quite seen in them before, could see her fangs wanting to descend, the tiniest pricks of the teeth already coming out to play. "I will do it though, Caroline. Don't tempt me."

Her only response was a glare and he turned back to Stefan, taking a step toward the vampire. Klaus grabbed hold of the lamp and smirked at the scream that erupted from Stefan's mouth as he wrenched it from the vampire's body. He dropped the lamp, moving to Stefan and lifting the vampire up with ease before throwing him at the nearest wall. The sound of bones and the wall breaking on impact was like music to his ears. Caroline's pained gasp at seeing it only adding a delicious melody to the groans and grunts of Stefan who was trying to push himself up to a sitting position.

"Stay where you are, sweetheart," Klaus reminded, not bothering to look behind to see that she was doing so as he strode toward Stefan. His reflexes were infinitely quicker, more defined than hers and if she tried to attack he would have her knocked back before she moved from the chair. "Now tell me. How were you going to find the cure without my sword? I can't see you having given up on it so easily unless there was another way."

One that he would use to his own advantage. Find the cure, force it down Elena's throat and then create a new batch of Hybrids. Ones that the Lockwood boy would never get his hands on.

Stefan groaned, spitting out blood even as his body attempted to knit itself back together. "Tick tock, Stefan. I don't have all day." Klaus grabbed the vampire by his throat, pulling him up and pushing him against the wall again in one easy motion. "We had a plan. One that would have worked to both of our benefits and I'm failing to see what use you are to me now. I'm sure you remember what it is that I do with useless things."

"Why should we say a thing if you're just going to kill us?" Caroline pointed out from behind, and Klaus pressed his lips together, annoyed with the assumption that he wanted either of them dead. He thrust his hand into Stefan, breaking and then yanking out a rib, causing Stefan to cry out in pain and Caroline to scream for him to stop.

"I can do this all day until one of you answers me," Klaus replied, glaring down at Stefan.

"Professor Shane already knows where it is," Caroline informed him, trying to keep from moving to Stefan's aide. She had a feeling if she stepped one foot toward him that it would only equal pain.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Klaus asked, even as he pressed his hand to Stefan's chest, the pressure and force he was using causing the bones inside to crack. "Who all knows of the cure?"

"All of us," Stefan replied, glancing over at Caroline. He wanted her to get out of the house, she might be able to make it to Elena's, maybe Matt's, if Klaus was so focused on him. She would be safe for at least a little longer then. "Damon, Bonnie, Elena, Matt, the whole gang."

"Tyler knows too, but we didn't tell him. He already knew somehow," Caroline added and then bit her lip for having offered that bit of information up. "Why do you even care about the cure?" He didn't want to be human. They all knew that and was it really worth all of this hassle to turn Elena back to a human so he could make more hybrids that would only turn against him?

"A weapon that could be used against me. Can't imagine why I'd want to know the location of that, sweetheart." Klaus muttered, but didn't bother to look at her. "Where is the Professor?"

The other two were silent again and Klaus thrust his hand through Stefan's chest cavity and grabbed hold of his heart. "I tire of this game, children."

"Elena's lake house. Or at least he was. He might be back at Whitmore now," Caroline muttered, not caring in the least for that man's life if it gave Stefan a chance of walking away from this meeting with his life.

Klaus stepped back as he pulled out his hand, watching Stefan stare at him, the fear in his eyes as he clutched his already healing chest a nice sign that the vampire understood how close to death he had just come. _I held your life in my hands, mate. Could have ripped away and been left with nothing._ The hope of camaraderie that they had shared in the 20s ever returning was gone and Klaus would no longer try to gain it back, no longer let Stefan in on his plans. He would complete this journey on his own and destroy any who interfered again.

"I believe that's enough for today," Klaus told them as he licked Stefan's blood off of his hands and turned to leave.

"Where's Tyler?" Caroline asked, and Klaus stopped, turning back to her with a fury he couldn't seem to contain as he walked to her. He didn't pick her up and throw her as he had Stefan, simply blocked her into the chair, leaning over her as he stared down at her, waiting for the fear to register on her face. He could smell it coming off of her in waves, see it in the tremble of her body, but she kept her chin raised, kept glaring at him as she repeated her question. "Where's Tyler?"

"Worried about what I've done to your little boyfriend?" Klaus sneered down at her, touching one of her curls again. Though this time he was anything but gentle, yanking it to the side and delighting in her cry of pain. "Not his blood on me. Though I did have the pleasure of drowning his mother in the fountain to satiate the need to kill him for the moment."

The widening of her eyes, Caroline's little gasp as his words registered, brought another smirk to his features, delighting in her horror. Had she forgotten what he was capable of if crossed? None would be free from his wrath if they tried it again.

"How could…" Caroline started, her gaze turning from horrified to anger but Stefan called out her name, no doubt trying to silence her from saying something to further anger him.

"After all he took from me; I felt it only justified to leave him a little taste of what's to come. There are more who need to pay for their part in this little scheme and they will meet their violent ends in time, but first." Klaus paused, locking his gaze with Caroline's. "A gift for you, love, to show that even though your judgment has been lacking recently..."

Klaus grasped her chin again, making sure she was looking at only him. Stefan was hardly a threat, skin still trying to mend itself and the loss of blood no doubt limiting his capabilities. Klaus tightened his grip on Caroline, watching her eyes water in pain at how hard he was holding her. Bruises formed on her skin, marking her and while they would heal in seconds once he released her, he would know that mark was there just under the surface. "I still endeavor to have your heart."

He watched her flinch at that, fear finally registering in her eyes, and Klaus let go of her chin. He didn't know why but he didn't actually like it there, not when she was looking at him, not like he thought he would. Funny how she was more afraid of his feelings for her than the threat of death at his hands. Or maybe it was one in the same.

"I allow Tyler this one last night on Earth, but know this, Caroline," Klaus started, pushing away from her, though he never broke his gaze with her. "Once the sun rises I will rip out his heart and eat it if he is still in Mystic Falls. I suggest that you tell him to run and try to hide so that I don't find him for a little while. He should at least try to make it entertaining."

She nodded and he could see the wheels in her head turning, the scenarios that she was no doubt going through for how to try and save the whelp. There was no saving Tyler Lockwood and Klaus would make sure she understood the gravity of the situation they had gotten themselves into. "And, Caroline, don't think of running off with him. If I find out that you have, nothing will stop me from finding you. Of course, that will only happen after I've decimated the town you call home."

Klaus didn't wait around for an answer, turning on his heel and heading out of the house and toward his home. Caroline's soft gasps of disbelief carried on the wind; Stefan's words of comfort following behind it, and Klaus couldn't help but smile, pleased with how that meeting had gone and ready to drown the rest of the night away with a good bourbon.

* * *

What had just happened?

One minute Stefan was having a breakdown because of the fact that Elena and Damon had slept together and the next Klaus was in the house. As soon as she saw him come inside Caroline had known Tyler's plan had failed. She had known something was going to go terribly wrong based on the fact that Hayley had snapped her neck and left her in the bathroom of the Grill. She didn't understand why the girl had done that. Wasn't it better that Klaus not go into Tyler's body but his sister's instead? Hayley was supposed to be Tyler's friend. Surely she would have seen how that slight change in the scenario would be better for everyone.

Except Klaus was alive and apparently Tyler still was for the moment, but the hybrids were dead. There was no way they would have been spared their lives after the betrayal they had planned, not with how much blood had been on Klaus. Not when she had been able to smell them, that distinct scent that was hybrid blood coating him. Similar to his own, yet Klaus' pulled a yearning from inside that Caroline steadfastly pushed down. She didn't want to think about his blood sliding down her throat, healing her, and being etched forever into her head along with that damn woodsy scent that seemed to surround Klaus.

She had to find Tyler, had to somehow explain what had happened to his mother, and after that she needed to convince him to get the hell out of Mystic Falls. He needed to run as far and as fast as he could and hide as best as he could. She wasn't sure if he could do that though. The first time he had left, Klaus hadn't bothered to go after him, but this time, Caroline had a feeling there wasn't anything that would stop the Hybrid from going after Tyler.

All because of the stupid pack and Tyler's need to try and help them. Why couldn't they just unsire them and let them leave of their own accord? Why did the end result of the plan have to be trying to take down Klaus? How had none of them learned by then that it was impossible to do so?

Her mind was a mess and she hated the conflicting thoughts that ran through it as she tried to force back the fear that wanted to grab hold of her and never let go. It took Caroline a moment to realize that Stefan was standing in front of her, hands on either side of her face and talking to her. She had seen the current look he was directing at her before back when she had first turned and had been freaking out on him in the school bathroom. It took her a moment to realize the sobs that she also heard were coming from her mouth, that she was the one who was crying.

"Caroline," Stefan murmured, and she finally focused on him, remembering that she needed to breathe in and out to get her body under control.

"I'm okay," she stated not sure if it was Stefan or her own mind that she was trying to convince. Caroline pushed back from him, threading her fingers through her hair and forced herself to breathe in and out once more. "We can't just sit here. There's…we need to contact Bonnie and maybe Shane won't have left yet and if he did then she probably has a way to contact him." Because she had been spending entirely too much time with Professor Creepy who seemed to know more than he was revealing but that was something to focus on at some other point. "But we need to give him a head's up that Klaus might want him."

Caroline wasn't exactly sure what the Hybrid would do that night. "He can't get into Elena's lake house at least." But they both knew that the simple invitation barrier wouldn't do any of them that much good if Klaus really wanted to get someone from inside of it. He wasn't exactly against burning the lot of them out of a building.

"I'll deal with all of that," Stefan told her, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "You need to focus on finding Tyler and getting him to leave Mystic Falls."

She nodded, at a complete loss for how to even do that, but she knew that she needed to at least try and get Tyler to see reason. "I'll get him to leave." Not that she could go with him. There was little doubt in Caroline's mind that Klaus would make good on his threat and go after her, killing the entire town in the process.

Stefan pushed himself away from the chair, nodding as he moved, and she could see the tension in her friend, blood staining his shirt and had a feeling that he was still healing internally. "Call me when you're done and we'll meet up at your place," Stefan told her as she got up from the chair and headed to leave.

"You're going to be okay, Caroline," Stefan called out, and she stopped at that, looking over her shoulder at him. He seemed to look about as confident in his words as she felt about them.

"Always am," Caroline replied, forcing a smile before she hurried out of the house, not wanting to hear any more lies. She wouldn't be okay. There was _nothing_ about their current situation that was okay, but she would survive it, somehow conquer it and move on, live her life. Just like she had done with every other curve ball that had ever been thrown her way.

* * *

Klaus sensed someone inside of his mansion before he even got to the front door. There shouldn't have been anyone in there. Rebekah was daggered and resting wherever Stefan had hid her. His Hybrids were dead in the woods and Lockwood cellar. He would have sensed Tyler's presence right away because of their blood connection. Caroline and Stefan hadn't followed him and there was no reason for the rest of their motley crew to be traipsing around his home.

He was in no mood to deal with trespassers. Or perhaps it was the perfect mood considering he still had leftover rage that he would happily dole out on whoever was inside.

Klaus made no move to be silent, nor did he hurry toward the presence. He could hear the clinking of glass and knew the perpetrator was helping himself to some of his liquor. He found that to be a bit curious. For one, they would need to know where it was located to find it and two; most intruders wouldn't bother with stopping for a drink.

He arched a brow as he entered the room, surprised to see Kol sitting down on one of the upholstered chairs. His younger brother draped his legs over the side, haphazardly pouring brandy into a tumbler, drips of the liquid ending up on the furniture and floor.

"Looks like someone was out having fun without me," Kol commented as he looked over at Klaus, smiling impishly as he raised his glass. "And it looks like you had quite the time while you were out. Did someone piss in your Cheerios? I heard that while I was in Canada. Funny little saying, don't you think?"

There was a time when Klaus would have welcomed his younger brother's presence. A time when he had wanted all of his family to share the house with him but that dream had died before it was ever fully realized. "Why are you here? Last I heard you wanted to make a name for yourself again out in the world."

Klaus had thought it was a foolhardy desire that would result in Kol getting into his usual brand of trouble. He couldn't quite discount that he understood the younger vampire's need to set off on his own after so many decades cooped up in the coffin. Kol had never been one for sticking around any place for too long, not even when they had tried to stick together as a family.

"Are you not going to regale me with tales of what you did?" Kol mock pouted, bringing the tumbler to his lips, but didn't take a drink yet. "What happened to sharing your conquests and our little wagers on which of us could cause the most panic?"

Klaus walked over, snatching the bottle of brandy from him and then headed toward the cupboard that held the rest of the tumblers. He ignored Kol's smug grin, the small laugh that left his brother's mouth at having goaded him so easily.

"I'm surprised you're still in this town, Nik," Kol continued, swirling the amber liquid around in the glass as he watched his brother's shoulders tense. "The doppelganger isn't really any use to you any longer so what is it that's keeping you here?" Klaus didn't reply, pouring himself a drink and keeping his back to Kol. "Don't tell me it's that pretty little thing from the ball?"

_Caroline._

Klaus tightly gripped the glass he was holding, reminding himself that breaking it would only serve to give Kol the reaction that he obviously wanted. Something he was not about to do.

"Answer my question, Kol. Why are you here?" Klaus demanded, turning around and fixing his brother with a venomous stare. It rankled that doing so only seemed to further amuse the younger Original.

Kol swung his legs around and placed down his half-drunk drink onto the table. "There's a rumor going around that a Hunter was in town. One of those ridiculous Five that we searched long and low for a century or two." Kol tapped the glass. "And from your lack of immediate answer I'd say that I'm correct in that assumption. So where is he?"

"Dead," Klaus replied, taking a drink.

"Obviously it wasn't you. You're not ranting and raving about father every other second." Kol pressed his lips together, brow furrowing in thought. "Was it Rebekah?" That would explain her absence when he'd come into town.

"Elena Gilbert." Klaus sat down across from his brother, watching the amused smile that spread across Kol's lips as he clapped his hands together in delight.

"Stake herself? Or walk out into the sun without the ring? No wait. Somehow managed to chop off her own head?" Kol leaned back, more possibilities playing out in his mind. "Did someone at least manage to record it? I learned how to do that on the cell phone. I quite like the device." He pulled out his phone, twirling it in his hands. "I can constantly relive my highlights. I'll have to show you what I got up to in Toronto but first, how did she finally end it?"

Klaus couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm, relaxing a tiny bit as he leaned back against the couch. It reminded him of the last time they had been in this very room together like this. Rebekah would have been striding into the room, still in her gown from the evening before. He would have been sketching in his book. Kol remarking how bored he was and wanting to go out to play. Back before everything had come crumbling down.

"We learned how to break the curse, so she's still around. No hallucinations." Klaus informed him, watching Kol arch an eyebrow at that. "Have to get a potential Hunter to kill a vampire and take hold of his destiny. True circle of annoyance that witches delight in creating."

"That disrespectful tone is exactly why most of them don't like you," Kol smugly pointed out. "Who's the new Hunter? And how did you find a potential?"

Klaus waved off the questions, not in the mood to go into more details. "If you want to be of help then go and retrieve Professor Atticus Shane from Whitmore. I'm sure you can figure out precisely where he lives off campus. He has information about where we can find the cure."

"I don't get why you even care about this? Why don't we just destroy this Professor and cut off the chance of any of them ever locating it?" Kol asked, picking up his glass. Trick one of the others to kill whoever the new Hunter was and any potential Hunters that came along. It didn't seem as though they grew on trees anyway. After all, this was the first Kol was hearing about another one after the Five had died nine hundred years ago.

Klaus didn't respond again, and Kol tapped his glass, trying to deduce what appeal the cure would hold aside from the fact it could be used as a weapon against them, which admittedly, was a pretty good reason to find it first. Of course finding it meant that it could potentially be stolen and used against them that way. Better to cut off any hope of ever locating it in the first place. What could have Klaus wanting to actually get his hands on it?

_Of course._

"You want the doppelganger to be human again, don't you? Make more little hybrids?" Kol saw the tightening of Klaus' jaw when he mentioned his brother's pets. "Where are they? I was expecting to see at least one of them roaming around when I got here. They were all such a bloody nuisance the last time. Though that one—Kim I think—did know how to make a good cocktail."

"I'm not in the mood for fifty questions, Kol," Klaus replied, rising from the couch and already heading toward the door. He needed a shower, to rid himself of the blood of his failed attempt at loyalty. He certainly didn't want to go into where his hybrid army was with his little brother.

"Just one more, Nik," Kol called out, unsure what exactly had gotten him into such a tizzy. Who even knew with Klaus at times? "Where is our dear sister?"

"I can honestly say that I have no idea where Rebekah is residing right now," Klaus replied, and headed off toward his room.

He heard Kol leaving as he started stripping, making a mental reminder to burn the clothes. Hopefully Kol was doing as he asked. It would save a lot of headache if his brother retrieved the professor that night before the others could do anything to hide or protect the man. But if not, he'd put into motion another plan to get the information needed to get the cure before the rest of them. Or perhaps do as Kol suggested and simply put into effect the Professor and Jeremy Gilbert's death so none of them would ever get the prize.

One way or another, he wasn't allowing the Mystic Falls gang to come out on top.

* * *

Tyler looked devastated, like he had suffered a great loss, but not quite as broken as Caroline was sure he would be if he knew about his mom. There were no police cars out front either and she knew there would be if he had been informed about Carol Lockwood's death. This was a scene she had seen play out too many times recently. Though this time there was a definite lack of Hayley sitting by him on the couch as he mourned for dead pack members.

Caroline didn't think she would ever understand the pack dynamic. She hadn't liked how he so quickly jumped to their side on everything. Even if she could see why he did so. He considered them friends and family, put their needs above others. Had been willing to put their needs above a cure-that he didn't want and why would he but was needed to help Elena, another of his friends-and that still didn't sit well with her. No, it wouldn't have helped them out, but they couldn't have given them even another day to try and find the sword before Stefan got that fateful call. All of their lives had been at risk as soon as Tyler decided he wanted to take Klaus down and Caroline wondered if he even realized what he had set in motion.

She couldn't blame him though, not with what she had to tell him. "Hey," she started, stopping at the threshold of the room. He seemed to tense upon hearing her voice, but didn't turn back to look at her.

"Caroline, I don't want to talk to you right now," Tyler muttered, lifting up the bottle of scotch.

"Tyler," she continued, not at all surprised that he didn't want to do that. She took another step forward but stopped when he started talking.

"They're all dead. He killed all of them. Every single last one." Tyler took a long swig from the bottle, emptying it and then tossing it onto the couch beside him. "Hayley set us up. I don't get why though. None of it makes sense."

Caroline didn't get that part either. Though it tied into why the other girl had snapped her neck, even if it still didn't explain why she would have betrayed those she had considered to be friends though. "Seriously, Caroline, just go. I need to mourn on my own," Tyler told her, shaking his head as he stared down at the floor.

"Klaus didn't just kill the hybrids, Tyler," Caroline took a deep breath, not wanting to tell him this way, but sugarcoating it wouldn't help any. "He found your mom." Tyler rose at that point, turning around to look at her. He shook his head, no doubt willing her to stop talking. "He. Tyler, he."

Tyler stepped backward, scraping his nails through his hair as he shut his eyes. "He drowned her," Caroline finished, stepping toward him again.

Tyler slammed his hands into the coffee table, easily splitting it in two. She stopped walking, needing to keep out of the path of any stray debris as he took out his fury on the couch next, sending it flying across the room. Tyler let out a harsh scream, dropping to his knees as he cradled his head in his hands, pulling at his hair. Caroline moved to him then, kneeling down beside him and reached to try and offer some comfort. He smacked her hand away though, arms slamming into the floor as he screamed again.

Caroline's heart broke for him. She knew what it was like to lose a parent and she knew Tyler knew that already as well. But to lose his mom to Klaus, the one being that Tyler seemed to hate more than any other, that had to make it worse. She could almost feel the rage that was coming off of him and she reached for him again, frowning when he pushed her away a second time. "There's more," she murmured, flinching when Tyler looked at her, directed that fury filled gaze her way.

"What the hell else could there be?" he demanded, nails digging into the floor to keep from striking out again. He didn't want to accidentally hurt her.

"If you're still here in the morning he's going to kill you," Caroline replied, tucking her hands into her lap. Whatever response she was expecting from Tyler it wasn't for him to start laughing. A high pitched, delirious sound that reminded her of films when someone was losing their mind. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

"I don't want you to die," she sobbed out, pressing a hand to her mouth to try and reel her emotions back in. She didn't think Tyler needed to deal with her having a breakdown after all he had lost.

That seemed to knock a little sense into Tyler and he stopped laughing and finally reached for her, pulling her close. Burying his head into her neck as she hugged him tightly, sobs racking through her whole body. "He's not going to kill me, Caroline," Tyler murmured, rubbing her back, trying to soothe her with his touch. It only made her grip around him tighten. "Let's just go. We'll just get the hell out of Mystic Falls." Take her and run, get as far away from Klaus as possible. Do what they had planned on doing when the Council had been after them.

Maybe they should have done that to begin with.

"I can't," Caroline told him, pulling back a little as she shook her head.

"I think your mom will understand you needing to disappear," Tyler assured her. Surely that was why she was hesitant to go. They could always figure out how to contact the Sheriff later on. He brushed her hair off her face and she sobbed harder.

"You don't understand," she murmured, knowing she couldn't go. That her reasons would only make her boyfriend even more angry than he already was. "Klaus said he'd kill everyone in town if I went with you."

Tyler let go of her, pushing himself up off of the floor and reached for the nearest object, flinging it across the room. He tore the room apart, not really seeing where anything landed. The bastard had managed to take everything from him in one night. His pack, his mother, Caroline. He would be left with nothing.

No doubt Klaus was laughing it up in his mansion. He wanted to kill him, to take everything that mattered to the Hybrid and destroy it, just as Klaus had ripped him apart. He couldn't do that if Klaus tore his heart from his chest though. Klaus would win forever then and Tyler couldn't handle that being the outcome. Klaus didn't get to win. Not anymore. He would simply need time to figure out how to strike back at the Hybrid in the worst way possible.

He turned to look back at Caroline who was still on the floor, hugging her knees tightly to her chest as she watched him, waiting for him to calm down. He knelt down beside her, hugging her again. "Tell me you're leaving. Tell me you're not going to go to his house and try something right now, Tyler," she begged, pressing her face into his neck.

She knew if he did that it would be the end. There would be no hope left. "I'm going to leave," he murmured, brushing her hair as she looked up at him. "I'm going to get out and I'm going to run so far that he'll never find me."

Caroline nodded, tears clouding her vision. "And it'll take time, but promise me you'll find someone who makes you happy."

"Caroline," Tyler started, but she shook her head, willing him not to interrupt.

"Tell me you'll do that. Tell me you'll learn to love someone again. Please." Because she couldn't stand the thought of him being out there on his own, stewing over all that happened. He had forever and he deserved to find happiness in it.

"I will learn to love someone again," he promised, kissing her forehead. "But I won't ever love them like I do you."

She collapsed against his chest then, hugging him as tightly as she could. He would need to leave soon, to run and hopefully never look back, but Caroline needed to hold onto him for another moment. To try and put everything about Tyler Lockwood to memory because she truly hoped she never saw him again. Something told her that if she did that would be his last day on Earth and it was better to know he was out there somewhere, hopefully happy again one day, than see him one last time just so he could die.

* * *

It wasn't hard to locate the Professor. Kol had easily found out where the man lived, some old apartment not too far from the campus, but it seemed that the Professor had decided to head to the office instead of home for the evening. It was an interesting choice considering there was hardly anyone on campus that late at night and Kol doubted the man was going to be working on anything academic. He didn't bother to look around the place, heading straight for the man's office and walked right on inside.

Shane was at his desk, going over some papers that were strewn across it and picking up his vibrating phone as Kol entered the room. "Afraid you won't be able to take that call, Professor," Kol informed him, easily smacking the phone out of the man's hand and letting it slide far out of reach.

"Who are you?" Shane asked, looking more curious than frightened, something Kol hadn't quite expected. Most would fear him, having burst into the office and slapping away the only method of communication.

"Kol Mikaelson. My brother requests an audience and I'm feeling generous toward to him today. Thought I'd bring you along instead of calling him to meet us here," Kol replied, yanking the man out of the chair by his shirt.

"You're an Original," Shane stated, his fascination growing at being privy to being in one of their presence. He had read so much about them. Learned so much about them in his travels. Never had he thought he'd meet one in person. He'd glimpsed the Hybrid at the Mystic Falls Pageant, watched him interact with one of Bonnie's friends, but had made sure to stay out of the way there. The others were already suspicious enough about what his motives were, what he knew. He hadn't wanted to stir up more trouble.

"Very good. And I have a feeling you know a lot more than you're letting on. But I'd rather Nik bother with the questioning since he seems to know a little more than I do at the moment." He flashed them out of the office and to the parking lot, shoving Shane into the car he had already stolen off of a coed who had the misfortune of being alone in the area. No doubt her drained body would be found in the morning but he'd be long gone by then anyway.

He noticed that Shane seemed to tense at the mention of his brother and Kol set the child lock on and pressed the lock key, trapping the two of them in the car. "Buckle up. Hate to lose all that knowledge you have up there too soon. You can always try to do that roll out I've seen in some films, but all that will do is break some bones, maybe lose consciousness, and I'll just have to take you back the old fashion way. The car ride will be infinitely more comfortable."

Hopefully he would get to dispose of the man once they were done with him. No point in leaving any loose ends hanging around.

An hour later and he was leading Shane up the mansion steps and calling out for Klaus to join them. "I've got your teacher friend, Nik."

Klaus appeared looking less psycho killer than when Kol had last seen him, though there still seemed to be an edge to him that hadn't quite disappeared. Something had happened to his brother and he wanted to find out exactly what had occurred. "And look not a scrape or bruise on him," Kol added, wagging his eyebrows at Klaus as he pushed Shane to sit down on one of the chairs before moving to sit on another.

"Klaus Mikaelson. The Hybrid." Shane stated, nodding to himself as he took in the two brothers. "My research showed that the two of you were at odds at times. Fiercely competitive. Brought about a couple of wars."

Kol winked at Klaus, pleased with the other man's knowledge. "We had our fun." When his brother wasn't putting daggers in his chest and spoiling it.

"You're not here to give me our life history. I'm already well aware of what I have and haven't done," Klaus started, not bothering to sit down and instead leaning against the wall as he regarded the man. He had seen him at the pageant, but there had been no reason to pay him much mind. He was of no consequence then, though Klaus was beginning to wonder exactly how he had come across all he did know. "I'm told you know where the cure is."

"I'm sorry this is just a dream come true right now. Two of the Original family. I mean, I saw you at the pageant," Shane nodded toward Klaus, his excitement growing. "But I never thought I would actually be speaking to either of you."

Kol was in no mood for the game, already having heard enough from the man on the way over about how fascinating it was to be in his presence. "Where is it?" he asked, utilizing his compulsion but that only seemed to make the man smile.

"Compulsion won't work on me. Actually learned how to avoid that during my travels," Shane informed him, and Kol frowned, not having met another who was able to avoid it without use of vervain.

"Well, then, I believe Kol gets to enjoy his favorite pastime in order to make your tongue compliant," Klaus stated, waving his hand for Kol to proceed. He walked over to the couch then and took a seat, arching a brow at the fear that seemed to finally surround the professor.

Kol laughed, leaning forward and resting his hands on the arm of Shane's chair. "How shall we do this? Would you like drowning? Or I can just smash it out of you until you break." He grabbed hold of Shane's right hand. "I know. Let's start with the fingers and work our way up." With a malicious smile, he cracked back one of the man's fingers, twisting it until it broke and Shane cried out in pain.

Looking back at Klaus, Kol nodded toward the fireplace. "Would you mind lighting it? I'd like to use the pokers later if he takes too long."

He turned back toward Shane, knowing Klaus would do as he asked. No doubt his brother would get the poker nice and hot for him to use. "It's such a simple question even," Kol continued, twisting two fingers that time. "Where is the cure? All we need is a location."

He moved on to the man's arm, slamming it down against the arm of the chair with enough force to shatter it. "I'm not even sure why you care about it. You're human. What exactly could you do with it anyway?" Kol continued. It made little sense to him why this man would want it, would know anything about it.

"I don't want it. You all can have it." Shane gritted through the pain. He was swimming in it, the amount of it making him lightheaded.

"I just want Silas," Shane muttered, still seeing stars, barely hanging onto consciousness.

Kol's eyes widened at the mention. _Silas._ He knew that name. He knew that being's cause. "What do you know about Silas?" Kol demanded, lifting the man up and shaking him. Shane's head rolled back but his eyes flicked open, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"First immortal being of this world. And he's imprisoned with the cure," Shane replied, eyes sliding shut and open as he tried to remain awake. "And I am going to free him."

"No, you're not," Kol shook his head, hands moving up to snap the professor's neck, but Klaus was there before he could, shoving him out of the way and catching Shane before he could hit the floor.

"Are you mad?" Klaus demanded, ripping into his wrist and pushing it to Shane's mouth, forcing the blood down his throat. "He's of no use to us dead."

"Didn't you hear what he said?" Kol asked, pointing down at the man who was regaining strength because of his brother's blood. "He wants Silas."

Klaus sighed, moving past his brother as he ripped into his wrist and pushed it against the professor's mouth, forcing the blood down his throat. "You cannot still believe that silly old tale, Kol."

Kol grabbed onto Klaus' shoulder, trying to pull him away from the man. It was better if he died, better if no one knew the location of the cure. "It's not a tale, Nik. It's real and releasing him will destroy us all." He moved to grab onto Shane, intent on snapping his neck and letting the secrets go with the man to his grave, but Klaus was quicker, shoving him away and pinning him to the wall with one of the pokers he'd talked about using.

"Silas is real and soon I'll have the spell that wakes him," Shane muttered, slowly coming back to reality.

"That's impossible," Kol shook his head. It had to be.

"I have the tombstone. Dozens dead in a blood sacrifice. One courtesy of your own brother," Shane replied, smiling at him. Klaus looked back at the man, realizing what that meant. He had been played by this Professor. "Kill me and you'll never know where it is."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, fists clenching in rage, and Kol tried to dart past him after tearing the poker out of his own chest. Klaus grabbed hold of him, slamming him down to the floor.

"You can't let him do this, Nik," Kol protested, struggling to be released, trying to flip his brother off of him. If he could get close enough to the professor he could end this all in one easy stab.

"You will not mess this up because of your superstitions," Klaus warned, grabbing onto Shane and flashing the two of them out of the room.

Kol knew there was no point in going after Klaus. Not with his mind made up like it was. Not to mention if the Mystic Falls gang knew about it then his brother wasn't the only one that he needed to be stopped. He needed to find leverage against Klaus, to help make his brother see reason and join him on his side. And then he needed to relocate the Covens he had once known, hopeful that they could help stop the rise of Silas.

Usually, Kol wouldn't mind some destruction, but he liked the world. He liked to be the one to cause pain, to learn, and to conquer. It would be impossible to continue doing that if there was no world left.

He looked around the room, trying to figure out what to use against Klaus, what he could dangle in front of his brother in order to get him to do as he needed. Kol spotted the sketchbook on the tabletop. He didn't even need to open it. He already knew what was inside, sketched on nearly every page, and he knew exactly what he could take that would have Klaus doing whatever he said.

* * *

It wasn't hard to locate Caroline. He already knew where her house was considering it was always a good idea to know where the members of any local council lived in case they needed to be dealt with. So after a few minutes he knew she hadn't been inside but that the Sheriff and Salvatore brother were expecting her to get there at some point. Kol stood to the side, angling himself behind a tree and utilizing the shadows to hide him from anyone's prying eyes. It didn't take long to hear her voice in the wind, and he whipped his head in the direction it came from, easily spotting the girl walking down the street.

She was on her phone, not paying any attention to her surroundings, but he knew he had to act fast. Snap her neck, get her into the car, and get off the street before her mother or friend was able to catch him. Simple enough.

"Look, I'm almost there, Stefan. I can literally see the front door so can we finish this when I get inside?" Caroline asked and he was pleased to watch her hang up the phone a second later.

Kol flashed out in front of her, offering up a smile as realization as to who he was hit her. "Sorry, darling. But you're what is known as leverage." He snapped her neck before she could make a sound, catching her body as she fell, and easily lifted her up and to the car. He deposited her in the back seat, knowing it would take an hour or so for her to wake up and he would be where he needed to be by then and have other means of holding her captive.

He dialed his brother's number, holding the phone to his ear as he began speeding down the street and toward the boundaries of Mystic Falls. "I do not have time for your—" Klaus started, and Kol smiled at the anger he heard there, knowing it would only be magnified in a minute.

"Hello brother. I have the pretty little blonde. We're leaving town," Kol started, waiting for the eruption he knew Klaus would have at that news.

"If you—"

"Yes, I know. Tear out my liver." Kol replied, remembering the threat his brother had doled out to him a few months back. "If you'd like to see her without a stake driven through her chest, you'll do as I need."

"She means nothing," Klaus bit out, but Kol wasn't buying it. Knew that his brother didn't like being ordered around by anyone.

"So you won't mind if I pull over and do it right now then? She's a pretty little thing. Maybe her and I could have some fun before I do it," Kol remarked. "I think I'd enjoy trying to drive her insane. Like dear old Mary."

"What do you want, Kol?" Klaus asked, and Kol could hear the fury in his voice. Knew he'd picked the right choice.

"I'm glad we're finally starting to be honest with one another, Nik," Kol began. "It's been so long since we've had an honest conversation." He smirked at his brother's low growl, knew it was time to stop playing around. "Silas is not allowed to rise. I'll give you the girl after you've killed the professor and gotten rid of the Hunter's mark."

"Do you even realize what you are asking of me?" Klaus demanded, his voice rising with each word.

"You have until the end of the week," Kol replied, hanging up before his brother could respond again.

If it didn't work he'd do as he said, dispose of Caroline, and work the witch angle to stop the rise of Silas. That mattered more than anything. Even more than his own family. Something told him though that Klaus would do as he needed and that was only going to be the first part of a very long journey ahead for them.

Kol looked back at the still dead Caroline and smiled before returning his attention to the road. "You and I are in for a long ride tonight, Caroline."

Next stop, New Orleans.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Big huge thanks to Miranda for betaing and Nicole for the amazing cover. Also thank you to everyone who read, followed, reviewed, etc that first part. Was definitely not expecting that many people to read this. **

**I feel like I should warn that I said this was going to be a dark story and this next part is kind of dark. So enjoy!**

* * *

"_There are no bargains between lions and men. I will kill you and eat you raw."—_Madeline Miller

* * *

The urge to fling the phone across the room, to watch it shatter into pieces, was hard to push down, to force away. Klaus knew he couldn't do that. He had no idea what Kol's actual number was, had never bothered to put it to memory and he would need to remain in contact with his younger brother if he was ever going to get Caroline back.

Though maybe this was what needed to happen. Maybe he should step back and let Kol break the blonde, destroy her in ways that Klaus couldn't seem to do, no matter how much he had contemplated doing so. Caroline had somehow wormed her way into the heart he had thought long dead and wouldn't leave it. No matter what she seemed to do, no matter the betrayal that she doled out to him, she steadfastly remained there and he couldn't seem to extract her from it.

As quickly as the thought entered his head it was banished, pulled from the dark recesses and flung out of reach. Kol wasn't allowed to sully her light. If his brother tarnished one hair on her head, Klaus knew that he would dagger the boy. He despised the intense reaction she drove inside of him, the desire for her loyalty, for her love, for all of her to be his and only his. He didn't like the distraction she caused to his thoughts, to his plans, and yet he savored every single moment she acted as distraction for him, taking what he could get from their meetings.

Klaus had meant it when he called her collateral damage. That was all she was ever supposed to be, a means to get the Sheriff on his side and to teach the upstart Lockwood a lesson. He had noticed her before; that fierce loyalty she displayed to Tyler when he was forcing the boy to transform, had overheard countless conversations between the two whenever Tyler was listening to her on the phone around the mansion. She was beautiful, there was no discounting that, but her loyalty to Tyler, a werewolf turned hybrid, that she shouldn't have wanted to be around in the first place because of the distaste each race had for one another coupled with the fact she did not beg him for her life when he entered her room had been what truly drew him to her at first. Then to top it all off she hadn't feared him in that moment, had told him that she thought he was there to kill her, how little she thought of him, how she threw back his words of freedom and told him that she wasn't free that she was dying…that had been his undoing.

He spoke of things that he knew would entice her, small town girl who probably hadn't seen the world considering what he knew of her at that point, and saw that light in her eyes, that need to see what he spoke of and still she didn't ask, didn't beg as so many others had. She simply told him the simple truth that she didn't want to die; such strength in one so young. He could have delivered a vile of the blood as he had done so for Damon, for others who had needed the cure only his blood could give. Could have sliced his hand even then and let his blood fill some cup for her to drink from.

But he had wanted her lips on his wrist; he'd wanted to feel her small body curled up against his own. At first as a punishment for Tyler, the boy would know he could get into his girl's house, as a way to show the Sheriff that he truly did hold her daughter's life in his bare hands. But then it was pure need to hold her, chin brushing her hair as he rested his head on top of her own, cradling her to him with one arm as she took what she needed from the other.

He left that night feeling accomplished, having gotten what he set out for, and yet, still feeling dissatisfied. It wasn't until he returned home that he even realized what had him in a mood. He didn't want that bracelet branding her, that worthless trinket that was wasted hanging on her wrist. She deserved more than some useless bauble and so he had delivered the bracelet, a nice little gesture that also let her know he could come and go as he pleased.

Everything he gave she shot down, rebuked his advances, spurned his mentions of things she'd like, and it drove him to her more. That loyalty that never wavered even when he could smell her arousal, could see the way her pupils dilated, the little hints that she didn't even realize told him she wasn't as immune as she tried to play it. It would have been so easy to compel her to do as he wanted, to give herself to him, but he wouldn't do that. It wouldn't be real and he wanted whatever Caroline Forbes gave him to be real—the attitude, the sarcasm, the wit, the smiles at the pageant. A compelled Caroline would be nothing but a puppet and he'd had enough forced loyalty, enough people frightened into following him, that he wanted her to come to him because she desired to do so. Nothing else would quite suffice.

He couldn't let Kol destroy her, wouldn't let him, but he needed to know that knowledge Shane had cooped up in his head. He couldn't let the chance for a cure go to waste; he needed Elena back as a human, needed to be able to create more hybrids, ones who would never falter in their needs to please him, to obey him. His own personal army to use as he saw fit. He would make certain that it worked this time, compel the lot of them after they were hybrids, doubly ensuring their continued loyalty.

His phone rang and Klaus glared at the offending object, not at all surprised to see Stefan's name on display. He had a feeling he knew why the vampire was calling, but he had no desire to answer and let it continue to ring. He'd deal with Stefan's worries later.

Klaus rounded on the professor who had been sitting on the steps of the house that was under construction. He could smell the man's excitement, heard the constant yammering on about this being a dream come true, and wanted it all to end. Excitement would get him nowhere. He needed information and he needed it now. The sun would be rising soon and it was only a matter of time once that happened for someone to realize that Professor Shane wasn't where he was supposed to be.

"You have no interest in the cure," Klaus started, smiling as he looked down at the man.

"None. You can have it, do what you want with it. All I want is Silas," Shane assured him, rocking his feet up and down on the step. He was a ball of nervous energy, but still no fear. "I want to awaken him."

"Why?" He found it rather curious that the man would want anything to do with the immortal that Klaus had thought lost to time. Stories of Silas had been used to scare children when he was young, but nothing of the man had been talked about in nearly a millennium. He could not even recall the last time he'd heard the name spoken.

"He'll make it so I can see my wife again," Shane started, and Klaus rolled his eyes. Of course. _Love._ Wasn't that always what drew the insane ones to their cause? "He'll lower the veil to the Other Side and make it so all them can come back."

"What?" Klaus froze. Surely he had heard that wrong. It was impossible to bring down the Other Side. Furthermore that was something he could not, _would not_ allow to happen. Doing so would bring back the Hunters, Esther, Mikael, and Finn. Every witch he had killed, every werewolf, every vampire.

"And I have almost everything I need to raise him. And when we get to him, you can have the cure," Shane continued, not seeing the reactions on Klaus' face, too far gone in his own need to explain the benefits of what would happen. Klaus schooled his features, wanting to get more information out of the man, and knew it would be best to let him continue to talk as if there was nothing wrong. It was amazing what a person might reveal when they thought you were on their side.

"What happens when the Other Side is put back into place?" Klaus asked, leaning against a beam. He watched Shane carefully, taking note of every movement, trying to decipher if there was something the man was holding back. But nothing about his body language denoted dishonesty. "You'll lose her all over again."

"That's the beauty of it," Shane clapped his hands together, and Klaus knew that type of smile that spread across the man's lips. It was the smile of one delirious to their cause, one who would never see logic or reason against what they believed to be true, to be what needed to happen. It was the smile of a madman. "It will never be restored. She'll never be able to die again. To leave me again."

And just like that Klaus knew the man in front of him wouldn't be allowed to live. He would take no chances on Esther or Mikael ever being restored, of never being able to die. He'd run already for one millennium, there was no way he would ever run again. "And what is it that _we_ need to make this happen? I'm unsure why the map is needed if you already know the way."

"It's not just a map," Shane replied, finally looking back up at Klaus. "A hunter with the entire mark is needed to complete the spell, to awaken Silas. Without one…" He stopped talking, brow furrowing as he noted the malicious smile on the Hybrid's face.

"So without a hunter's mark you can't awaken him but I could still get my cure?" Klaus asked, amused that Shane didn't answer. Fear was starting to fill the room mixed with worry and he watched the man steal a glance toward a window. No doubt trying to determine how long before the sun rose. "Oh come now, Shane, I can call you that, can't I? We're practically old friends now."

Klaus stepped forward, delighted as the anxiety seemed to peek, sweat starting to bead on the man's head, blood pumping just that bit faster. He wondered exactly how high the professor's blood pressure had spiked. Shane swallowed, but he kept his mouth clamped shut, defiance in his eyes even as his hands began to shake. "No? Then I suppose I'll have to make you. It would have been easier on you if I could compel it out of you, but I find this way to be infinitely more entertaining."

Klaus swiftly reached out, catching the man by his neck, hard enough to leave bruises but still allowing him access to his vocal cords. "Make no mistake, Professor, I am going to kill you," Klaus told him, pausing for a moment to let that register. The realization that hope was dwindling fast, the desperation he could see and smell coming off the man was only fueling his need to make what happened next as painful as possible. "It's up to you how quick a death you get. I personally hope you choose the option to try and hold on as long as possible, keeping secrets from me. You had to go to someone to find out what you know and it'll be easy enough to retrace your steps in the last year or so."

He tossed him away then, letting him hit a nearby wall. Nothing broke, but there would be some nasty bruises forming because of the impact. Klaus glanced around the construction site, looking for anything to use on the man who was trying to push himself up. He hoped he tried to run. He'd always enjoyed the chase, but surely the Professor knew that if he'd really done his homework.

Klaus found a hammer tucked under some plywood and nails and screws littered the floor in places. Turning back to Shane, he grinned, pleased with the terror in the man's hands. "Feel free to scream."

* * *

Coming to after a snapped neck was never a fun experience. Being swallowed by darkness and experiencing nothing for who knew how long, the vulnerability that encompassed being almost dead, teetering on that fine edge and waiting to see if she would be thrust over it, unable to defend herself was something Caroline _despised_. She hated being vulnerable, unable to protect herself from others, and coming to in the back of a car she didn't know was not how she had wanted to spend her evening.

_Kol_.

She remembered that he had stopped her on her way home before snapping her neck. She didn't even need to glance at the driver's seat to confirm it was him who had her, not with how he was belting out the lyrics to whatever he was listening to. Maybe she could fling the car door off and bolt out of it before he realized she was awake. If she just kept running, put all of her power and strength into getting as much distance between her and him, maybe she would actually have a chance.

"Ah ah ah, darling," Kol started, cutting through her thoughts and Caroline tensed, knowing that he knew she was awake. "I'd hate to go chasing after you only to snap your neck all over again. Nik was always the one who enjoyed the chase. I'm more of a taunter. I like driving them mad."

Who the hell cared if he could snap her neck again? That only mattered _if_ he managed to catch her. So what if he was stronger and faster than her, she was twice as determined. What could it hurt to give it a shot?

"I should warn you that after snapping yours I think I'll need to head back to that quaint little town. Possibly snap your mother's as well. Something tells me she won't recover from it like you will," Kol continued, and Caroline narrowed her eyes at the threat.

Because that was what that had been. There was little doubt her mind that he wouldn't carry out on it either. "What do you want with me anyway? Because I have this big chem exam on Monday and I kinda need to pass it to keep my 4.0 GPA," Caroline bit out as she pushed herself up so that she was sitting. "So whatever wacky scheme is going through your head is not allowed to ruin my grade point average."

"Like I told you before, you're leverage," Kol replied, tapping his fingers against the wheel to the drum solo that started up. "So that my brother actually listens to me for once and doesn't do something foolish. He has a tendency to act rashly at times. Others he's a planner. Bit of a conundrum that one."

"So what do you need him to do exactly? Aside from not acting rashly." Couldn't Kol have simply asked his brother? She was never going to understand the Mikaelson family dynamic. One second it was like they hated one another, the next they were ready to rip to shreds anyone who dared to say anything against one of the siblings.

"I need him to kill some people," Kol replied, switching lanes and Caroline peered out the window, trying to figure out where they were. There weren't any signs aside from the speed limit and that really wasn't giving her any clues. She didn't know which direction they had headed or how long she had been out.

"Did you try and ask him?" she asked, leaning back against the seat as she cracked her neck, trying to get the kinks out of it. "He likes doing that. I'm sure he'd have been more than happy to fulfill your request. He's kind of on a roll with it tonight anyway." She cringed at her own words, remembering that Klaus had not only killed his hybrids but Carol Lockwood as well. She just hoped that Tyler had gotten out, that he hadn't doubled back after she'd seen him off, because she worried if her boyfriend found out that she'd been kidnapped that he would try and stay behind and Caroline knew that Klaus would kill him.

"It'll lose him access to the cure," Kol informed her, and Caroline sighed. Yeah, Klaus wouldn't agree to kill anyone if that were going to happen. The Hybrid might not have wanted it for himself, but to gain himself new hybrids by curing Elena, to keep it out of others hands who might want to use it against him; he'd stop at nothing to get it. She could see why Kol asking Klaus wouldn't work in that instance.

"Okay, so why exactly take me then? Because seriously not seeing how I am any kind of leverage," Caroline muttered, even if she had an idea. She didn't want to give name to it though. Didn't want to believe that she was valuable enough to Klaus for him to alter whatever plans he had about something. "He's not going to care that you have me. Not when it means losing out on what he really wants."

"Oh, darling," Kol started, the amusement back in his voice and Caroline glared at the back of his head. She really didn't like that endearment. "We both know that's not true. Otherwise, you would have had your heart pulled out after being involved in the plot that got me daggered the first time. I wouldn't have gotten orders not to bother you or the annoying little doppelganger."

Caroline frowned, not really in the mood to contemplate anything that Kol was saying, what his words implied. She knew she should have been dead a number of times considering her participation in so many events. The mere fact that she had used Klaus' feelings towards her to gain her friends what they needed should have gotten her a target on her heart. And she wasn't dead. She was perfectly fine, not a scratch on her.

"Denial is an ugly shade on you, Caroline," Kol continued, and she saw him peering at her in the rearview mirror, his smirk nearly identical to his brother's. She hated it. "Not really sure what it is that he sees in you."

"Your sister asked me that once, why don't you go to her for the answer?" Caroline bit out, and for a moment wondered if she shouldn't have tried reeling in her sass. Kol wasn't Klaus. She had no clue how he would react to it, to her, and she had no intentions of dying any time soon.

"Careful, darling. I might like sharp tongues on pretty little things, but I'm just as prone to cut out those tongues," Kol informed her and Caroline glowered at that, trying not to show precisely how fearful she was of her current situation.

She knew she shouldn't provoke him, but she also knew that cowering would get her nowhere fast. She needed to find some kind of middle ground, figure out how to work around Kol. Fear seemed to be a turn on for vampires, something she'd realized along the way that her body drank in and wanted to cause more of, but she forced that need down, just as she did with the one for blood. The Originals didn't do that though and she had a feeling that Kol lived for fear. Maybe he had been able to get the drop on her, to kidnap her, but that was the last time he was going to make her feel like a victim.

"It'd heal," she muttered, crossing her arms as she looked out the window. "Also I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to harm your leverage." She really didn't like that word.

Kol laughed. "I was never one to play by the rules."

Caroline scoffed. Of course not. "Where's my phone?"

"I tossed it out of the car when we left Mystic Falls behind," Kol replied, switching channels on the radio.

"Rude. Not all of us have money just growing on trees to replace things when we're done being used as leverage," Caroline groaned. She had just bought that phone and didn't relish trying to scrounge up enough money for a decent one.

"It's called compulsion, Caroline." He glanced back at her again, his tone one she usually heard reserved for very tiny children. "Or are you one of those goody two shoe vampires?" She glared at him which only made him laugh again. "Now I really don't see what he sees in you. Don't tell me that you feed from animals."

"No, I don't." Except when being a good friend and hunting with Stefan to keep him company, but she'd stopped actually feeding during one of those get togethers ages ago. Fur in teeth was disgusting.

"You bag it, don't you?" Kol inquired. "Nifty little process. Learned more about it during my recent travels. But even that's a poor substitute to the real thing. Lacks the heat of the body, the adrenaline, and the pitter patter of their heart as it starts to fail."

"Why are you so interested in how I feed?" Caroline groused, crossing her arms in annoyance. She hadn't had anything to eat since the night before and all the talk about it was only making her hungry.

"I'm interested in what it is you did to make Nik, self-proclaimed 'love is a vampire's greatest weakness', find you at all enticing," Kol told her. "Enough so that he didn't pull out your heart right away after you distracted him and let the others dagger me. Because we both know, darling, that you walking into the grill dressed up like you were was all about enticing him to follow you back out and separate us."

There was no point in denying it. She'd been used plenty of times to distract Klaus from whatever the rest of the gang was doing, from what Tyler had been doing. "Don't worry. I'll figure it out eventually," Kol continued, and Caroline really didn't like merriment mixed with anger she found in his voice, in his gaze. "We're going to be joined at the hip for a while. Maybe I'll be able to show you how to be a proper vampire."

"Excuse you," Caroline scoffed, glancing back at him and rolled her eyes. "I am a _great_ vampire."

"No, you're a neutered one," Kol replied, and she really wanted to reach across the car and knock the smirk off of his face but refrained from doing so. "When was the last time you compelled someone?"

"_Today_," she smirked, though April hadn't actually been compelled but she had thought she'd done it, had intended to do so and that counted.

"How about feeding from the vein?" he continued, changing lanes and she looked back out the window, shrugging in response. Just because she didn't feed from the vein didn't make her a bad vampire.

"Killed someone?"

Caroline flicked her attention back to him, narrowing her eyes. "Killing someone doesn't make you a good vampire."

"No? Then what does, darling?" Kol inquired and Caroline really didn't like the way his voice lilted on the endearment. He was mocking her and she knew it.

"Controlling it," she bit out, staring back out at the darkness and watching the endless mass of trees flicker by.

"It?" There was that underlying mocking delight again and she could only imagine the mischievous twinkle in his eye as he asked his question.

"The bloodlust," she muttered, gaze locked on the window.

"Oh, Caroline, how wrong you are in that," Kol laughed, and she decided she really didn't like his laugh. It was nothing like Klaus'. Whereas the Hybrid's laugh had wrapped around her, bringing forth her own and putting a smile on her face, reminding her that he wasn't all horror and death, Kol's made her think of someone who was on the edge and just waiting to fall to one side or the other, not caring who he took down with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, needing to change the topic of conversation.

"You'll see," Kol replied and reached over to turn the volume up, conversation finished.

Caroline rested her forehead against the window, staring out at the trees that flicked by as they drove. She could see the sun beginning to rise and knew from the direction it was coming from that they were headed west. She didn't know Kol or really understand his motivations. Didn't know where they were headed or why really. Yes, she was leverage and she figured getting her to a place where Klaus couldn't so easily track her down was a smart move but she had a feeling there was more to the current journey than the Original was letting on. He seemed to be heading somewhere, had some sort of destination in mind. There had to be a reason why he didn't want the cure found too, and Caroline didn't think it was simply because it might be used on him.

So she'd keep her eyes and ears open and see if she could figure out exactly what was happening and why Kol didn't want his brother to get the cure.

* * *

He had to hand it to the man, Shane had definitely held out far longer than Klaus thought he would, but there was only so much pain a human could endure. He didn't really need any more answers out of the man anyway, but he didn't want Shane's death to be quick. Not when the man had been holding out his true agenda for so long. What would have happened if he'd been allowed to lead the others to the cure without any of them knowing the consequences? What if he had succeeded in awakening the damn immortal and getting the Other Side destroyed?

Klaus had already run for one millennium and he had no intentions of ever running again. "Others besides me will carry this out," Shane muttered, eyes nearly sealed shut because of the bruises on his face. Blood trailed down from his nose, came out in his coughing fit. "Killing me won't change anything."

"Perhaps not, but it'll get me what I want," Klaus replied, dropping the hammer to the floor. Not the cure, no, but disposing of the man and offering proof of his death was one step closer to giving Kol what he needed and freeing Caroline. It was a step toward not allowing the veil to drop, that threat of Esther and Mikael ever returning becoming nothing more than a passing nightmare.

Not to mention it'd stop the man's incessant prattle. It was amazing how much he could speak about nothing even as his bones were being broken, the sheer agony he must have endured during every crack, every blow doing nothing to make it cease.

Klaus' phone rang again and he drew back from the man. What was a few moments before he finished the deed? "Stefan, my friend, to what do I owe this continued harassment?"

"Where the hell is Caroline?" Stefan demanded, and Klaus grinned, watching the Professor's breathing grow increasingly shallow.

It wouldn't be long now before he expired. If he'd actually answered as Klaus had wanted maybe he would allow him this easy death of letting his injuries get the better of him, but he'd sealed his fate by trying to keep secrets.

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of her since I left you two," Klaus replied, amused by the other vampire's annoyance. "Did you lose her in the last few hours? Hopefully she didn't run away. I was quite clear in my warnings."

"I don't know what game you're playing but I swear," Stefan started, and Klaus narrowed his eyes. How _dare_ Stefan even attempt to speak to him in such a way? Had he forgotten how close he had come to death earlier that night? How Klaus had held his heart in his hand and graciously allowed him to keep it?

"Stefan, you're on thin ice as it is. I've found very little reason not to tear out your heart and eat it for dinner in the last few hours. Don't tempt me to do so to you, your brother, and that annoying little doppelganger. I can use the cure on Katerina just as easily as on Elena." Klaus clenched his fist at his side, anger once again starting to weave its way through his body. It seemed his earlier discussion with the vampire hadn't quite gotten the message through to him. He'd need to rectify that later on.

He hung up before Stefan could answer and slipped his phone back into his pocket before turning back to address the dying professor. "Any last words?" Klaus asked, but reached forward before Shane could say anything again, lifting him up, and walked him back toward the stairs.

Klaus had broken one of the railings from its position, creating a lovely jagged edge that pointed at an odd angle into the air, suiting his purposes perfectly. "Considering you seem to know my history particularly well, I think you'd almost find it fascinating, befitting that this is your manner of death," Klaus stated, and then he impaled the man through the through the rod.

It'd been a method of execution he'd enjoyed centuries before, one that the so called 'father' a vampirism was particular to. Vlad Tepes, that prince of Wallachia, who had been tied forever to Dracula by Bram Stoker. Funny how it would never be mentioned in history books precisely who had shown the man his preferred method of torture. Historians always seemed to speculate that the man had learned his methods while in the hands of the Ottomans, but it hadn't been just his time there or their company that had shown him the gruesome manner of death. All the villages and fortresses he plundered and burned to the ground hadn't been truly his own doing—not all of them at least—but it was better to give that reputation to another, a way to throw Mikael off the trail.

Klaus looked over at his handwork and lifted his phone from his pocket, recording a short video of the results. There would be no denying from Kol that the man was dead. The fact he could tell his brother of what the plans to raise Silas truly meant should also have him believing that Klaus had carried the deed. There was more to do to secure Caroline's return and once he accomplished that, Klaus would need to figure out a way to retrieve the cure without awakening the immortal. He at least needed to try and see if there was a way to do so. He couldn't leave it to chance that someone else might stumble upon it and use it against him, but he could take out all hope of the Mystic Falls gang every getting their hands on it in the near future.

Klaus stiffened, hearing the heartbeat a moment before he heard their voices. Damon. Elena. The witch. He wasn't surprised that they had found him, no doubt gotten Bonnie to use a locator spell. He had no intentions of dealing with the trio. If anything, them being there allowed him the perfect opportunity to take out the next obstacle. He flashed out of the building just as they entered it, smile spreading across his face as Bonnie's shriek of despair and disbelief echoed through the night. Her screams followed him as he headed toward his next target, gut-wrenching sounds of someone who had lost something precious, and he laughed. The sound was harsh and spread out through the wilderness as he moved, causing the other creatures who had been going about their nightly routine to freeze and cower until he passed.

He could only imagine the thoughts going through the trio's heads. The plans they would be devising, the threats they would be volleying about. Never quite able to follow through on them or get them to go anywhere really.

If only they realized what they were about to lose next.

* * *

This couldn't be happening. Shane wasn't allowed to be dead. He was the only way she could get her magic back, the only way she had a connection to any kind of power. She'd tried living without it, not having contact with the spirits since they had all turned their backs on her after all she had done to protect her family and friends. After she had saved Klaus, something they had been vehemently against, and Bonnie hadn't wanted to do it. The alternative of letting her friends die, _her mother_, wasn't allowed. She had done what she felt was needed to keep them alive, to help them, and in the process the spirits had turned their back on her.

It had felt like she'd lost part of herself, like the very heart of her was gone and she felt empty. Except it wasn't emptiness that she felt, but a gaping hole that only seemed to grow bigger inside of her with each passing day, each time she'd tried to do anything to reconnect with magic and had nothing happen. It was torture, driving her insane a tiny bit every day and she didn't know what to do.

Bonnie had been so lost in how to help her friends any longer, what her role would be, how she'd continue to protect them. Shane had come along and been like a guardian angel, giving her hope that not all was lost. He'd shown her how to regain control, how to find new power and utilize it as she needed. Bonnie didn't think she could do it without him, didn't know how to access that plane of power that he had her tapping into.

She screamed for the loss of the connection, for the fear that she would go back to feeling that emptiness engulf her again, at being useless to help her friends. Klaus was gone before she could do a thing to stop him—she _knew _that it had been him. Who else would have taken him? Who else would have killed him in such a gruesome manner? She could only imagine how much the older man had suffered in his last few hours on earth.

Where was the justice then? If she'd been able to use the spirits, maybe she could have found him sooner? Instead relying on her haphazard hold on the power Shane had been tapping her into. She could have saved him then and Bonnie screamed again, cursing the spirits, cursing the unfairness of it all. She was on her knees, palms pressed onto the cool tiled floor and vaguely she could hear Elena trying to soothe her, trying to assure her that they could figure out a way to help. Something about vampire blood, but Damon was already putting that down.

Shane was dead, not on death's doorstep. Shoving vampire blood down his throat wasn't going to bring him back.

"We need to leave, Bonnie," Damon stated, though it was coming out more like an order, and she reeled around at him, eyes flashing in anger. He took a step back, brows furrowing at the energy that was coming off of her.

"No," Bonnie bit out, turning back toward Shane, trying to remember what they had talked about. There had to be a way to bring back the dead. She'd done it for Jeremy, but she'd had the spirits help.

What if she could trade his life for someone else's? What if she could swap their places? That was a possibility, wasn't it? Somehow. She ignored the tiny voice in her head, mimicking her grandmother's voice, telling her to not turn down the road she was precariously teetering on. But her grandmother was dead. Her mother was dead to her…long before she'd become a vampire even. And now Shane.

"Bonnie," Elena called out, reaching for her friend, and it was her voice that caused Bonnie to snap.

Elena, who was now a vampire. Who should never have been a vampire. Just like Caroline shouldn't have become one. She'd fix it for all of them. Turn them back to human, get rid of the Originals and their threat to the world, and they could go back to the way things used to be. They could follow through on their original plans for college, for everything. There would be no more blood bags, no more supernatural beings trying to use them or abuse them.

"Elena, _move,_"Damon urged, forcing her out of the way of her friend who looked like she might blow at any moment. He could hear people coming toward the house, no doubt the builders who had been working on it, but there was nothing he could do for them. Better they meet their end than him or Elena.

Bonnie turned towards the door, wind picking up again around her and swirling about. She didn't know what she was chanting, the words coming from deep inside, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the workers entered the house, eyes turning black as the power took hold of her. It was like she no longer had control of her own body, every motion she did felt as though someone else was doing it and all she could do was watch from the inside, screaming at it not to happen. This wasn't what she wanted; this wasn't who she was, but she couldn't seem to make her hands stop their movement, couldn't force her mouth to close or the words to stop spilling forth.

The workers never got a chance to speak, never had a chance to run. Their bodies lifted into the air as her arm raised, necks cracking as she flicked her wrist. She turned toward Shane, trying to harvest the energy of their deaths to bring him back. Grasping onto it with all of her might, but she didn't have the focus, didn't have enough among the dead to channel what was needed to accomplish her fete.

She fell to the ground, gasping for air and spitting up blood as reality came crashing back down around her.

"What the hell did you just do?" Damon demanded, trying to grab onto Elena who was already rushing to her friend's side.

"I don't know," Bonnie sobbed, shaking her head at the dead men littered along the floor and she looked at Elena who was touching her shoulder. "I don't know. I didn't…"

Elena pulled her close, staring in shock at the bodies as well, but trying to offer some comfort to her distraught friend. "We need to get out of this house _now_," Damon urged again, roughly lifting the two of them to their feet.

"What about Shane?" Bonnie couldn't stand to look at him again, knowing how much he must have suffered at the hands of Klaus. "I can't leave him there."

"I'll deal with him," Damon growled, trying to steer them to the back door. They needed to get out of the house and he needed to destroy any evidence that they had ever been inside of it. "Elena get her to the boarding house and _stay there._"

Bonnie knew there was no use in arguing about that, not when Elena's grip tightened on her arms, flashing the two of them to the Salvatore place. There would be no convincing her friend to take her anywhere else or letting her leave. Not after Damon had asked it of Elena.

_Sire bond._

Bonnie's eyes narrowed, energy dancing through her for a split second as her anger seemed to sweep through her veins. That was another thing she needed to make sure she added to her list. It was unnatural and no matter what Elena might say, it _was _changing her, and not for the better.

_It'll be okay,_ she thought as Elena brought them into the house, anger seeming only to grow with each passing second. _I'll fix everything._

Somehow.

She would just need to carry on in Shane's absence, find out exactly what the next step was supposed to be, what her part was in it. Figure all of that out and then get her friends and her back the lives that had been so carelessly ripped from them when the Salvatore brothers had ventured back into town.

Her Grams. Jenna. Alaric. Her mom. Caroline's dad. Vicki. So many others dead and Bonnie knew that she would stop at nothing to somehow right it all. No matter what the cost.

* * *

It was a charming little shop. A family owned grocer and fishing supply store that catered to the lake houses. Never get a lot of business on the off season, only the few locals that bothered to stay year round, but it kept afloat by being the only place to get anything for miles around. Not unless one wanted to head back into Mystic Falls to buy something and the whole point of coming out to the lake houses was to leave the town behind for a period of time.

Perfect setting to find some easily compellable people to do his bidding. A quick taste of the older gentleman, his wife's screams quickly erupting in the air as Klaus bit into the man's neck, making sure they weren't on vervain before easily subduing and then compelling the old couple and four customers that had been loitering inside.

His directions were simple enough: get the occupants of the Gilbert lake house to come outside and after that kill them. By any means necessary. Klaus didn't turn them, doing so would give Jeremy reason to kill them and only add further notches to the tattoo that needed to grow. A tattoo that was never allowed to see the light of day.

Klaus leaned back against a tree at the end of the pathway, watching the group head toward the house, shot guns, knives and gasoline canisters in hand. He kept an ear out in case any of the rest of the Mystic Falls gang came around, noting that only Jeremy and the quarterback were inside. It didn't take long for their heartbeats to begin to race. It almost synched nicely to the front door and porch going up in flames.

He could hear their hurried words to one another, noted which direction they would be coming from to escape the flames that were climbing up the house. In a flash, Klaus was at the backdoor, throwing Matt out of the way and then grabbing Jeremy as he exited. He had to give credit, the boy tried valiantly to fight, even managed to knick him on the arm with the stake, but it did little to falter Klaus from his goal.

In one swift motion he had Jeremy on the ground, sword rising above to strike. "You kill me and you'll go mad," the Gilbert boy reminded, tiny flicker of hope in his eyes that he could come out on top.

Klaus enjoyed watching it die as he brought down the sword, cutting off the hand that held the ring. It was better not to take any chances that it might actually bring him back. Never knew if the humans being compelled would make his death a supernatural one. Klaus doubted that was the case, but better not chance it this time. "I'm not going to kill you," he informed the boy as his screams erupted through the air, Matt's cries of disbelief mingling with them.

Klaus stepped back, picking up the hand and removing the ring for safekeeping. Never knew when such a trinket might come in handy. "I'd rather leave that to my new friends," Klaus continued, motioning to the compelled humans who had made their way around the house, ready to dispose of the two.

He walked backwards away from the group, smirking at Jeremy's cries for Matt to get the hell out, but it was no use. A shot rang out and then another and just like that he heard the heartbeats decrease to nothing. The compelled group headed back to their cars as directed and wouldn't remember a thing of what they had done. No witnesses and two very human deaths.

He hadn't forgotten Finn's death, that older brother that he had abhorred at times but hadn't wanted dead. Would have preferred to keep him locked up in a coffin for another century or let him run free with Sage if it would have kept him from doing anything stupid. Now his death was avenged and the Hunter's mark was no longer in play. At least not until the next potential made an appearance, but really who knew when that would happen or where.

A few pictures recorded later and Klaus heard the snapping of a stick. He arched a brow, noting who had arrived. He could have stuck around so that Damon could spot him, could know that he'd had a hand in their deaths. He wanted to step forward and rip the vampire's heart from his chest and deliver it to Stefan. A nice little gift to go with the tone he'd been on the receiving end of earlier.

Instead he flashed away. He had a phone call to make and he could always make Stefan suffer for his insolence another day.

* * *

Caroline had been doing her best to ignore Kol and pretend she was highly interested in the scenery that passed by as they drove. Internally she was trying to figure out a way to either subdue him or get herself out of the mess she was currently in. She just needed to do it without putting her mother at risk because Liz Forbes' death was something not allowed to happen for a good fifty more years. If even then. She had been so engrossed in her own thought process that she didn't realize they were pulling into a gas station until Kol had parked them beside one of the pumps.

"Going to let you do this part," Kol informed her as he glanced over at the attached convenience store. "I need a snack and haven't bothered to learn how to do such a menial task."

"I don't have my credit card on me," Caroline pointed out, having a feeling that he didn't have one of those either.

"I'm sure you can use those vampire abilities of yours to get us what we need to continue on," Kol replied, mirthful tone back in play. "And just to warn you, if you run, I won't bother to chase. I'll simply stroll on back to your little town and kill your mother."

Kol was out of the car before she could reply and she glowered at his vacated space before leaning forward to take the keys from the ignition. At least he'd turned the damn car off correctly. More importantly, at least he knew how to _drive._ Ugh. How had this become her life?

Caroline slipped out of the car, looking around the small roadside station to try and get a better gauge on where they were at. She knew they had been heading west and after some more traveling had a feeling they were headed south as well, but she hadn't seen any signs to tell her which state they were in yet and she wanted to know at least that much. Any little bit of information had to be helpful.

There were a few cars in the parking lot, one with a tag for Tennessee, the other for North Carolina. She figured that meant her assessment in heading southwest was correct and it narrowed it down to at least two states. Maybe.

But gas, right. Something told her that if she didn't figure out how to fill up their tank that Kol would do it and he wouldn't have a problem with leaving a good deal of bodies in his wake to do so. She didn't have any money or access to a card. Calling her mom wasn't an option. How exactly was she supposed to get the stupid gas?

Caroline glared at the pump, trying to come up with a couple different options and vetoing each one as soon as she thought of it. Another car pulled next to the pump behind her, two young men getting out of it and not so subtly looking her over. One headed into the store as the other went to the pump, sliding in his card and going about the steps before glancing back at her. Caroline spared a glance at the store, making sure no one was paying much attention to them and slid on over to him, smiling as she moved.

She watched the lazy smirk form on the stranger's lips, could smell his arousal as she walked closer. "Hey there," he greeted, southern accent an enjoyable treat after having nothing but Kol to listen to for the last bit. She didn't know where it originated from though and cursed her lack of traveling. Maybe if they had gone on more trips as a family she'd be able to differentiate accents! "You look like you're in need of a hand."

Caroline smiled her best Miss Mystic smile, keeping her stance friendly and engaging as she approached him. She reached out and grazed her fingers against his arm, openly flirting with him and almost felt bad at how happy he seemed to be to be receiving the attention. _It's keeping him alive,_ she reminded herself and got to work.

Gaze locking on his, she let her compulsion start, hopeful that he wasn't on vervain. She had no idea how common its use was across the states and made a mental note to look into that once she was home. "You're going to give me your card and tell me your pin. You won't remember that you gave it to me and think you must have lost it later on today. That's what you'll tell the card company tonight around six when you realize it's missing," she informed him, smiling as he handed over his card and uttered his pin to her. "Sit in your car and wait for your friend to come back out. Then go about the rest of your day as if nothing happened."

Caroline twirled around and headed back to the pump, sliding the card through and easily paying for gas. She set the pump up to distribute gas into the car and headed into the store to pick up some snacks for the rest of the journey. She could feel the dull ache starting in her gums, alerting her that she would need to feed soon. She wanted to get some things to help stave off her bloodlust and the boredom that she could already feel settling in. There was only so much window watching that a girl could do when she couldn't control the music and had no intention of talking to her kidnapper.

Ten minutes later, Caroline tossed the card into the trashcan and carried her bag of goodies to the car. Kol was sitting in the driver's seat, pump already back in its place and tapping his fingers against the wheel. She slid into the back, tossing him the keys. "You missed a spot," she grumbled, noting the flecks of blood on his shirt and rolled her eyes in annoyance that he'd gotten to feed.

Hopefully his donor wasn't lying dead somewhere.

"Utilizing your abilities to get what you want," Kol stated as he started the car and pulled out of the station.

"What I _needed_," Caroline corrected, pulling a magazine out of the plastic bag.

"I didn't realize that reading material on beauty tips was a need," Kol replied, and Caroline didn't even bother to look up, knowing he was smirking at his own wit.

"Shows what you know," she muttered, flipping the page and intent on ignoring him again.

The sound of his cell ringing interrupted whatever comeback Kol had and Caroline glanced up as he sifted the phone out of his pocket. "Hello, Nik," Kol answered and she wondered if Klaus found his brother's cheerfulness as grating as she did in that moment.

Caroline attempted to act nonchalant, flipping through the pages of the magazine as Kol talked to Klaus. She could hear every word though and she knew that the Original would know that she could do so. He probably _wanted_ her to hear. Their conversation didn't reveal much to her though, just that Klaus was sending proof of whatever he had done—she _really_ didn't even want to contemplate that part. She knew Kol wanted some people dead but she didn't want to believe that some of her friends might be dead. Maybe it was just Shane. He seemed to be the one who had any idea what was actually going on and where to really find the cure. Maybe Klaus had only killed him.

Her stomach lurched at how hopeful she was for that man's death, but she didn't know him, and while she would feel bad for Bonnie at least it might mean that the rest of her friends were _safe_ and Caroline couldn't deny that she was more concerned for their wellbeing than a professor that she didn't care about.

"Klaus wants to talk to you, darling," Kol informed her, holding the phone out for her to take.

Caroline glared at the object for a second before turning back to her magazine. "_Not_ interested," she bit out, louder than necessary to ensure that Klaus heard her through the phone.

"Sorry, Nik, but she's not in talkative mood," Kol replied, impish smile on his face and for once Caroline didn't find his amusement with the situation to be grating.

She heard Klaus' insistence, something about daggers and Kol held out the phone again. "He's insisting," Kol told her, waving it around a little.

Caroline sighed, but took it from him. Maybe he would forget she had it on her when the conversation was over? She could definitely use that to her advantage. "What do you want?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes at Klaus' chuckle.

"And a hello to you too, love," Klaus replied, and she could imagine the tiny smirk playing over his features. But there was an undercurrent of danger still running in his voice, the same one he'd had the last time she saw him and she swallowed, keeping her eyes fixed on the window as Kol started to drive. "Has he been treating you well?"

"Aside from the snapped neck and threats against my mother he's been just lovely," she mused, rolling her eyes at the question. "But hey, he didn't nearly pull one of my best friend's hearts from their chest so you know; he's doing a hell of a lot better than you are right now."

"Not yet anyway!" Kol merrily piped up and Caroline pressed her lips tightly together at that.

"If I meant to actually kill Stefan, Caroline, he would already be dead," Klaus told her, and she didn't like the coldness to his tone then. She really didn't like how it wormed its way into her body, sending shivers down her spine when he was miles away.

"So then because you let Tyler go that means you don't mean to kill him?" she asked, trying to understand it all, unsure if she should be hopeful or not even bother attempting for her boyfriend to come out of everything okay.

"No," Klaus replied, and she closed her eyes, not wanting him to continue, knowing what he was going to say. "I'd rather him go a little mad first."

"Nik always did like the chase," Kol reminded from the front and Caroline glared at him, wishing she wasn't having this conversation or at least didn't need to have it with him listening in.

"I hate you," Caroline hissed, unsure which one she was speaking to at that point. Probably both of them and she clenched her eyes shut, emotions getting the better of her as she felt her fangs pushing out of her gums, could feel the veins on her face coming out to play. She took a deep breath, ignoring Klaus and Kol as she got herself under control.

"Such an intense emotion. Hate," Klaus murmured, and she tried to focus on her breathing, not wanting to hear his voice. Especially not with how it was trying to curl inside of her head, enticing the monster to stay out and play. "Those whom we love, we can hate; to others we're indifferent."

"Shut up," Caroline snarled, despising the way he could twist words and circumstances to fit how he wanted them to.

"Give me the phone back," Kol ordered and she shoved it into his waiting hand, not caring that she'd lost the opportunity to keep control over it. She just wanted it as far away as possible, for Klaus to be as far away as possible.

"I'm sure you're raring to meet us, Nik," Kol spoke, and Caroline pressed her forehead to the window, knowing any hope of Klaus remaining away was dwindling by the second. "We'll be at the last place you daggered me. I'm sure you remember the location brother."

Kol cut off the call before Klaus could answer, sliding his cell back into his pocket. "Don't look so glum," he started, and Caroline kept her gaze outside, knowing she probably wouldn't care for whatever Kol said next. "Once you give in he'll tire of you and tear off your pretty little head so you'll never need listen to him speak again."

Caroline glanced up at the ceiling, not at all surprised that Kol had said that and uncertain whether it was supposed to make her feel better or worse. Probably the latter. Whatever. She'd bide her time and learn what the hell the two Originals were apparently up to—which had to be something more since Kol wasn't just letting her go now that he'd gotten what he wanted, or at least she thought he had. Who the hell even knew anymore? All Caroline did know was that she was not about to let Klaus or Kol win anything. Not if she had a say and if they were going to be keeping her around, she'd make certain that she had one.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading. I don't have any witty words before this chapter. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

_If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble. -Moliere_

* * *

"I'm going to find her, Liz," Stefan tried to sound reassuring as he looked over at the Sheriff who was standing in the Forbes' kitchen. She usually stood with so much inner strength, a small beacon of stability in the Mystic Falls community. However, after Caroline hadn't returned, finding her daughter's broken cellphone, and Klaus not being any help, she looked haggard and the worry was etched into all of her features. It was there in the way she held her mug, hands shaking ever so slightly. It was in the way her gaze darted to the door at any little sound, hoping it was her daughter walking through the door.

"Maybe she decided to go with Tyler," Liz started, nodding along to herself, unsure whether she should be hopeful or not for that scenario. As long as Caroline was safe, that was all that really mattered.

Stefan knew that wasn't a possibility though, not with what Klaus had threatened if she had done so. Caroline would never have risked her mother's life like that, of that much Stefan was certain. There had to be another explanation and he had a feeling that Klaus knew a hell of a lot more than he had been letting on. That man only ever gave what little truth he needed to if he didn't want to give away some part of his larger game. So he didn't doubt that Klaus hadn't seen Caroline, but that didn't mean that the Hybrid didn't know her location.

He just needed to figure out where the hell Klaus was and then maybe he could be led to where Caroline was at; hopefully without getting his heart torn out in the process.

Liz' cell beeped and she sighed, pulling it out and looking down at the text alert. "I have to get in the office. There's strange activity down by the lake," she told Stefan, setting down her full cup of coffee. "Keep me updated on Caroline."

Stefan nodded, brow furrowing at the lake comment. The others should be there and he had a feeling he should head over that way and let them know about Caroline's disappearance. Maybe Bonnie could use a locator spell to find her. "I'll let you know as soon as I know anything," he promised, offering up another reassuring smile as Liz headed to the door.

He waited until she was at her cruiser before flashing off in the direction of the Gilbert lake house. The smell of smoke and burning wood got stronger the closer he came to it and his eyes widened as he arrived, taking in the house that was nearly engulfed in flames. Matt and Jeremy's vehicles were still in the driveway but he didn't see Damon's or Bonnie's anywhere. He couldn't hear any heartbeats and Stefan didn't know what to think of that.

There was a flash to his right, someone arriving to stand beside him and Stefan swerved, ready to defend himself when he saw Damon. "What the hell happened?" Stefan demanded, motioning toward the house.

"That's not even the worst of it," Damon replied, nodding toward the back before flashing away.

Stefan followed him, nearly stumbling over his own feet as he stopped short of Jeremy's body. He spotted Matt off a few feet to the right and caught the smell of gunshot in the air. "Shot, couple of times," Damon told him before nudging Jeremy's body with his foot. "Even cut off his damn hand."

No hand meant no ring and no ring meant no miracle saves. Not this time. Though a gunshot would have meant death anyway for the young Gilbert. The ring only protected from supernatural deaths and a gunshot was definitely not one of those. "Shane's dead too," Damon continued, looking back at the burning house. "Didn't see him do it but my money is on Klaus for that one." He shook his head. "Should've seen what he did to him. Would have probably made Ripper you proud."

Stefan shot him a glare but didn't bother replying to that. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and no doubt the fire department and Sheriff Forbes were on their way. "We need to get them out of here now. Cars too," Damon told him, already hauling Jeremy up. "You get Donovan."

"What are we telling Elena?" Stefan asked, and he watched Damon pause for a moment, saw the tension in his brother's shoulders, could almost feel the despair coming off of him with knowing what that would do to the girl they both loved.

"Just get him into the car," Damon replied before heading off.

Stefan watched him for a moment, before looking back down at Matt's body. He could remember the last time he'd spoken to him at the bar, that easy going laugh that the guy had after a life of hardship. Matt Donovan would never get out of Mystic Falls now, would never know what else the world had to offer him. He was dead and that was a tragedy. Same with Jeremy and while the younger Gilbert had died a few times and been brought back, the fact that there was no second chance again hit Stefan hard. He could only imagine how it would affect Elena.

The nearing sound of sirens spurred him into action to retrieve Matt's body and get him into his truck. Shane was dead, the one who could have led them to the cure. Jeremy was dead, also able to do that with his growing tattoo. Matt…he couldn't think of a reason for the Quarterback to have been killed. There wasn't anything special that the kid could have done. Was it a case of wrong place, wrong time? Or had Klaus done this as well? Guns weren't really the guy's M.O. but Stefan knew he wouldn't have killed Jeremy with his own two hands anyway, not with the consequences that went along with killing a Hunter.

As he placed Matt into the back of his truck, watching Damon drive Jeremy's car away from the lake house, Stefan thought of Caroline. Was she out there dead somewhere? He'd been so sure Klaus wouldn't kill her, but looking at the burning house, at the dead boy in the truck, he wasn't so sure any more.

Backing the truck up and heading away from the house, passing Liz' cruiser and the fire truck that was headed toward the burning building, Stefan let out a heavy sigh, hoping that when he did find Caroline that she was alive. He didn't think he would ever forgive himself if she wasn't.

* * *

Bonnie sat on the middle of the bed in one of the rooms of the Salvatore boarding house, legs crossed and eyes closed as she tried to concentrate. Her mind was a mess, clouded by her own thoughts and feelings and she needed to clear it, wanted to try and work on some of the spells Shane had been working on with her. Nothing seemed to help though. Her attention was everywhere and she couldn't even bring the candles in the room to light.

Each passing moment furthered her frustration, building up inside of her until she felt as though she was ready to explode. Hanging around and waiting for Damon to return wasn't helping her any. She needed to get out of the house, needed to do _something_ to carry on what Shane had been teaching her. The goal of finding the cure had only intensified with his death and she wasn't about to sit around and wait for someone else to tell her what to do. Too often she had let others lead her and where had that gotten any of them?

She had relied on the spirits who had all abandoned her when they didn't like what she had done, relied on Shane who had unwittingly done the same, her mother who had left and started a new life without her and couldn't even stick around when given a second chance. It was time to rely on herself and learn what she needed to do in order to help her friends, to fix the chaos that had become their world.

Part of her couldn't help but want to feel her grandmother again, wanted to have her presence there to help guide her, but she was cut off from the woman. The spirits had taken her away, had caused her Grams so much pain, and she had felt it, watched her grandmother be pulled away to endure horrors she didn't even know of.

Because of _Klaus_.

It always seemed to come back to the vampires.

That alone spurred her into action and she pushed herself off the bed and headed out of the room. She needed to get to Whitmore, needed to find what she could from Shane's office and then head to his apartment and gather information. He had to have kept some kind of record of his travels, something to tell her the next step aside from just getting Jeremy to kill more vampires. Maybe she could get him to start up again with Damon and break Elena from the damn sire bond.

Bonnie headed out of the room and toward the front door, unsurprised when Elena appeared in front of her. "What are you doing?" Elena asked, blocking the doorway. "We're supposed to stay here until Damon gets back."

"I'm done listening to Damon Salvatore," Bonnie replied, narrowing her eyes at the thought. Listening to Damon hadn't ever ended well for her. He was the reason her mother was a vampire.

"He just wants us safe. He's getting rid of the evidence," Elena told her, nodding along as she talked, and Bonnie shook her head, hating that her friend seemed to truly believe that of the vampire.

"Shane is not evidence!" Bonnie yelled, and the lights flickered behind them. She balled her fists at her side, trying to reel in the magic she hadn't been able to tap into earlier.

"The men…they are," Elena told her and Bonnie faltered for a moment, remembering that she had killed the construction workers.

Guilt should have been enveloping her, it should have been bringing her to her knees over what she had done, but she didn't feel any. There was only dissatisfaction that it hadn't worked. Doing so had failed to bring Shane back. _She _had failed to bring him back. Her mind wrestled with the implications, a small part of her shouting to think of the men's families, of all they had lost, but it was quickly pushed aside and drowned out by the louder part egging her on to do better.

Bonnie stepped toward the door again, but Elena followed, trying to get her to stay. "You can't leave," Elena protested and something about the way her friend said it had Bonnie thinking that Elena might actually try and stop her.

"Yes I can." Bonnie didn't move a muscle, her anger and frustration finally boiling over and seeming to power her newfound magic. She stared hard at her friend, watching Elena's knees buckle as she forced her to the ground. She ignored her friend's gasps, pinning her in place as she walked past her.

"Bonnie, don't go," Elena pleaded as she hissed in pain.

"I'm doing this for you," Bonnie murmured as she opened the door.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked, clawing at her own skin because of the pain that was throbbing through her body.

Bonnie didn't answer, keeping her hold on Elena, pinning her to the ground as she headed toward her car. She could hear her friend calling for her, pleading for her to come back, but she ignored it all, her focus absolute and unwavering. It wasn't until the car was halfway down the drive that she released Elena, listening to her friend scream for her one last time.

She knew Elena wouldn't follow. The sire bond wouldn't let her, and that alone affirmed in Bonnie's mind that what she was going to do was the right thing. Elena would thank her in the end. She was going to get them their lives back.

* * *

It was hard to feign disinterest when she was in a city she'd only ever read about or seen in movies and on television, and was now currently being ushered through. She tried to take in bits and pieces of the architecture as she was tugged along, hearing pieces of music creep out of this door and that one, laughter rippling down on alley that led to somewhere that even more music and mirth seemed to lead to.

Caroline tried to sneak a look down it, to take in the vibrant colors, but Kol's grip on her arm was relentless and he pulled her along, quick enough that she didn't see much aside from flashes of color. She waited for someone to notice that they were moving too quickly, but it seemed those they flashed by only noticed a quick breeze, looked over their shoulders for where it might have come from, and then shook it off and continued to walk toward their own destinations.

She had tried to wrench her arm free earlier on but his strength far surpassed her own and it seemed she had been right in her earlier assessment. She wasn't free to leave just yet, even if Klaus had apparently done whatever Kol had wanted. Caroline narrowed her eyes at the back of Kol's head. She was so damn tired of being someone else' pawn.

Her steps faltered as the smell of blood hit her, unable to keep back her fangs after having gone without for nearly two days. Kol stopped flashing them, turning back to her with a curious look that turned into a full blown smile. She didn't like it at all, that mocking quality she didn't think would ever leave him coming into play again.

"Hungry?" he asked, and she narrowed her eyes at him as she forced her body to regain control.

"_No,"_ Caroline snapped, gaze flicking to the man across the street who had accidentally sliced open his hand while cutting fruit. A woman was wrapping it up and saying something to him in a language that she didn't know, but she had a feeling from the woman's body language that she was chastising the man.

"Oh come now, darling," Kol urged, nodding toward him. "I think he'd make a marvelous little snack for you."

Caroline yanked at her arm, trying to get out of his grip again. "No? Shall we look for someone else? Are you in the mood for a male or a female today? Any particular preference on age? A hair color you prefer? Some vampires can be so particular in what they pick," Kol mused, and she hated the lilting tone as he started them moving again. "Or are you fonder of a specific blood type? They do taste a little different, don't they?"

Caroline refused to reply, mentally trying to remember all the details for the prom committee. How many chairs? What were the food preferences? Color scheme…what was it again? The little mundane details helped stave off the hunger she knew would become a problem if she didn't satiate it soon. Maybe she could compel herself a rare steak, anything but what Kol was trying to tempt her to do.

They had stopped again and Caroline waited for more taunting, but Kol released his grip on her and nudged her toward the door. "No eating anyone in here, Caroline," he told her as he opened the door, pushing her inside and closing it behind them. "We need them alive."

She didn't really understand why he had been in such a hurry to get to a tourist shop. That was where he had sped them along to, a tiny store situated among others that sold little trinkets for tourists. Tiny shot glasses, t-shirts about the city, Mardi Gras, and various other events and locations that attracted out of towners to enjoy. Not that she could knock any of it. She kind of really wanted a shot glass and a t-shirt to prove the fact that she had stepped foot in the city.

Maybe she could compel herself one…

Caroline watched as an older woman stepped out from the back of the store; head down as she headed into the room with an armful of new shirts to put out on display. "Two for fifteen dollars on shirts or one for ten," she chirped, before finally looking up at them.

Her eyes widened and for a moment Caroline wasn't sure if it was out of fear or astonishment, but the smile that seemed to envelop the woman's body, cheer just erupting out of her as she dropped the shirts, confirmed the latter. "Kol Mikaelson," the woman greeted, shaking her head as she stepped forward, pulling the Original into a hug.

Caroline watched the entire encounter between the two, trying to figure out what was happening, highly interested in the fact that this woman not only seemed to know who Kol was but was also _happy_ to see him. The fact that Kol had been daggered for a century meant…

Witch. She had to be a witch.

"See you got the dagger out of you," the woman continued as she pulled back, finally glancing over at Caroline. She really didn't like the distaste the woman seemed to direct at her as she was looked over. "New groupie?"

"As if," Caroline scoffed, crossing her arms in annoyance. The witch's assessment of her seemed to change in that instance, nodding approvingly.

"Caroline, this is Zelda, an old, powerful friend," Kol introduced as he leaned back against one of the tables. "Zelda, this is Caroline. She's Klaus'."

"Excuse you," Caroline bristled, really not liking that being her definition. "I most certainly am _not_ your brothers." Not now. Not _ever._

"Quiet, darling. We can discuss your delusions later," Kol chided, and she balled her fists at her sides, resisting the urge to whack him. "We need to talk." The door opened and a group of tourists entered, pointing animatedly at some trinkets they wanted to purchase. "Privately."

"And here I thought you were visiting because you missed my charm." Zelda arched a brow at him but nodded toward the back of the store. "Let me deal with this group and then we can talk."

Kol reached to grab Caroline's arm again but she deliberately side stepped him, heading around one of the other tables out of his reach. She headed back toward the door Zelda had pointed out to them though. Running still wasn't an option for her. Plus she was kind of curious as to what Kol wanted to talk about with a witch, one powerful enough to keep herself from significantly aging for over a century.

"Not one for cages, are you?" Kol mused as he followed her into the back room that seemed to serve as storage and an office. Caroline noted that there was another door at the back of the room and wondered where it led.

She didn't bother answering Kol's question and hoped Zelda wouldn't take too long to join them. It'd be so damn nice to speak to someone else, to simply hear someone else's voice after being cooped up with Kol for so many hours. "I don't like being ignored," Kol informed her, and she heard tension in his voice, the threat behind his words.

"No, I'm not," Caroline snapped, looking up at him as she sat down on one of the chairs. She had been in a car for freaking ever and forced to wander all over New Orleans with him. Her niceness meter was shot.

Thankfully, he seemed to only be amused by her anger. "Your annoyance is much like my sister's," Kol told her, and Caroline snorted at that, really not in the mood to be compared to the Original girl. "She always enjoys throwing things at me when she's in a mood." All genialness disappeared as he caught her gaze with his own, his expression hardening. "Do you know where she is? She hasn't answered her phone in ages."

Caroline shook her head. She didn't even have to lie this time. She had no clue about Rebekah's whereabouts. "I haven't seen her in a while. She was hanging out with April Young back home. She might know."

Kol nodded and looked away, body still rigidly tense but he leaned against the wall as they waited for Zelda to finish up her own business. Usually Caroline was all for trying to fill up silences, but for once she was happy to let one ride out for as long as possible between her and Kol.

Zelda entered a minute later, ushering the two of them to the other door and into a different room. There were couches set up around the fireplace, a desk off to the side and a bookshelf full of what looked to be very old novels. There were cabinets as well to one side, their doors closed and Caroline idly wondered what was inside of them as she sat down on one of the couches, waiting to see why Kol had wanted to see the witch. Gathering as much information as possible was important because one way or another she was going to get out of the Original's grasp, away from Klaus too if he actually showed up, and head back to her friends. Caroline meant to be able to fill them in on everything important when she did so.

As soon as the door closed, Caroline watched Kol falter, stumbling to the ground. His face contorted in pain, body stiffening as if he was being barraged by some power she couldn't see. She glanced over at the witch, unsure whether or not to be pleased with the current circumstances. She wasn't experiencing any pain herself and that had to be a plus, right?

"No bullshit, Kol. Why the hell are you darkening my doorstep again?" Zelda demanded, and Caroline swallowed hard at the cold look the woman directed her way.

"Oh come now, Zee," Kol started, voice as cheerful as it could get as he winced at the pain, trying to keep from falling further down as he kneeled at the witch's mercy.

Zelda twisted her hand and Kol cried out at the movement, body seeming to bend under an enormous weight. "Answer the question."

"Someone is hell-bent on raising Silas," Kol bit out, and just like that the witch stopped her movements, releasing Kol from the hold she had over him. He was up in a second, grabbing onto the witch and pushing her against the nearest wall. "I do not appreciate the welcome."

Caroline watched as his vampire features appeared, fangs elongating and she could smell the older woman's fear then, the tension in the room heightening tenfold. Kol tapped the witch on the nose, tsking at her before he stepped back, releasing his hold and walked over to join Caroline on the couch, his face smoothing back to normal. "And here I thought we were friends," Kol chided, leaning back and smiling brightly at Zelda who was massaging her neck.

"Tell me about Silas," Zelda replied, ignoring everything else he had said as she headed to the bookshelf, removing a few volumes and spreading them out on the desk.

"Seems people are trying to raise him again. A professor already located where he's being held," Kol informed her, and Caroline watched the woman suck in a breath at that. The tension in the woman's shoulders seemed to heighten as she turned back toward them.

"The Professor located him?" Zelda asked, flipping through one of the books for a moment before peering over at them for a moment. "You're certain?"

"Yes," Kol nodded. "He said he already knew how to get there. Had been there before. He was pretty happy about that."

"Then it's already started," Zelda sighed, closing the volume she had been looking at and leaned heavily against the table. She seemed to have aged significantly in that moment, her appearance growing haggard, exhausted, the vibrancy she'd been showing earlier in the shop disappearing completely.

"What?" Kol snapped, rising from the couch. Caroline tensed at the anger that was radiating off of him. Whatever he'd wanted to hear it definitely hadn't been that. Though, she'd really like it if they would actually start making some sense in what they were saying to one another. Who the hell cared if this Silas guy woke up?! Wasn't the cure the objective?

"He's already waking," Zelda slammed a hand against the desk, her frustration growing and she turned fully to look at them. "Silas has been since that man stepped foot there and made contact. If he hadn't he never would have made it away alive. The magic that surrounds that place would have driven him mad and he'd have wasted away to nothing. Never able to reveal his secrets to anyone else."

"Okay, time out," Caroline interrupted, needing to be brought up to speed before everything got entirely too confusing. "Who the hell is Silas and why does it matter so much if he's woken up? I thought that the whole point was the stupid cure?"

"World's first immortal, darling. Try to keep up," Kol replied, and she scowled at him.

"Yeah, they so don't go around just teaching that at school so if we could roll back a step and actually explain that'd be great," she snapped, her annoyance growing and forgetting that it probably wasn't a good idea to antagonize the monster before her.

Thankfully Kol simply laughed. "I know the whole Qetsiyah and that part because of Bonnie and Shane, but not getting why some myth is such a big deal," Caroline continued.

"You're a myth," Zelda pointed out with a small smile. Caroline didn't like how condescending she found it. "We both are really. I'm a witch who's over one hundred years old and you're a vampire. To most we're fairytales, little stories told to children to entice them, scare them, but we're real. Just as Silas is real."

"Okay, I can accept that but why are you two making it sound like end of the world or something if this guy wakes up?" Caroline asked, leaning forward as she tried to grasp that much.

"Because it will be," Kol replied with a shrug. "End of the world as we know it. He's supposed to end up destroying it if he's awoken and I quite like the world. Would like to destroy it on my own terms. Watch a little of it burn here. Let it regrow while I topple something else and revisit the place I smashed to pieces later on. Can't really do that if it's destroyed completely."

"Nice priorities you have there," Caroline muttered before looking back at Zelda. "So how is he supposed to destroy the world?"

"By waking and destroying the Other Side," Zelda replied as she sat down on one of the chairs. "He thinks doing so will allow him to take the cure, become mortal and pass on to where his true love waits. Unfortunately he's a witch. He'll always be supernatural. There is no getting rid of that from his blood. So even if he destroys the Other Side he won't reunite with her."

Caroline frowned. "Well, why not? Like if there's no Other Side then why wouldn't we just…go elsewhere?" They had to go _somewhere_ didn't they?

"It was destroyed in the making of the Other Side. Qetsiyah didn't quite think that one through," Zelda spat, her eyes narrowing and Caroline had a feeling the other woman wasn't a big fan of the former witch. "We won't ever die. We will forever stay on this world." Zelda leaned forward, locking her gaze with Caroline's. "How long before the human population is demolished? With those who need to feed on them? Those wanting to use their sacrifices to grant them more power? Silas raging at being thwarted from reuniting with his one true love all over again? Everyone who's ever died will come back. A huge upset in the balance of nature. Too many witches, werewolves and vampires roaming around. It'd be pure chaos. And the humans would be collateral. This world would become nothing but a wasteland of chaos and carnage."

Caroline swallowed and leaned back against the couch, the scenario playing over in her mind. She couldn't even contemplate what that would be like. There were some pluses to it, being able to see people like Jenna again. Even Alaric…but would he be the Alaric that she had been able to call friend or the one who had tortured her? What about the wolves who had tortured her and she knew had met grizzly ends, the Hybrids, witches, and other vampires who had died? It would be a giant mess and one that would never end.

What about her mom? Her utterly human mother who had brushed death too many times for Caroline's liking. She had a feeling that would only increase if the Other Side was destroyed.

"I see you're contemplating the severity of such a thing ever coming to pass," Zelda murmured, and Caroline snapped back to reality, looking over at the woman and then at Kol who was also lost in thought.

"We should be alright," Kol started, leaning against the desk. "Klaus disposed of Shane, got someone else to kill the Hunter. We're good to go."

Caroline froze at his words. She'd known Shane was dead but Hunter….that meant… "Oh my god, he killed Jeremy?" But he couldn't have, Klaus wouldn't have because of the curse…but if he'd had someone else to do it…

Kol shrugged, not even sparing her a glance. "Pity, I did find Jeremy to be rather amusing. Would have made a fun companion for a while."

Elena. She needed to talk to Elena and Bonnie. Oh god. Jeremy couldn't be dead. The last person in her best friend's family. Caroline wasn't sure that Elena could handle that, especially not with her emotions being so severely heightened.

"So how do we stop him from rising?" Caroline asked, trying to keep her stomach from churning at the thought of poor Jeremy, of how devastated Elena probably was because of her brother's death.

"You need to find the cult," Zelda surmised, rising and moving back to the bookshelf.

"I killed them all, remember?" Kol reminded, sounding entirely too proud of himself. "Slaughtered the whole lot and their families, distant cousins as well to be on the safe side."

"They'll have started again. You need to find them and blot out their existence," she pulled down another few books, putting them onto the table. "I knew Valerie was up to something."

"Valerie?" Caroline asked, not entirely sure who Zelda was referring to as she murmured to herself.

"A witch I knew. Not all that crafty with spells and suddenly back in 1942 she had a significant spike in power and started dabbling in matters she never should have messed with," Zelda muttered, slamming one book down. "She disappeared a few years back but her daughter is still around—Nandi. She might know her mother's whereabouts."

"I'll be sure to have a chat with her later," Kol replied, and Caroline cringed at the way he said chat.

"You will leave her alive when you're done with her," Zelda told him, and Kol didn't reply, just smiled brightly. From the dark look in his eyes, Caroline didn't think he'd be following that directive.

"You need to find Sanai and her Coven. They know how to destroy Silas once the cure has been jammed down his throat. They'll have the power to take him down," Zelda finished, pulling an old, discolored paper out of one book. "They won't be easy to find and I do not know if they would trust the likes of you anyway. Though, I'm certain they know you did kill the first lot of the cult. That may give you some leeway, but they're not very fond of vampires."

"I knew a Sanai," Kol replied, an almost wistful tone to his voice. "She was from a tiny little place in Africa. Don't know what it's called now. All those changing boundaries and names with all of that conquering."

Zelda shrugged, handing him the paper. "But anyway, find the coven, jam cure down his throat. Sounds doable," Kol continued, opening up the paper and Caroline strained to see it, frowning at the words in a language she didn't know.

"For now," Zelda sighed, sitting down again. "We'll see how long it takes his darkness to filter through the world and place as many obstacles between you and your goal. Did Klaus kill the witch?"

Caroline bit her lip, not liking the question. What witch? Were they talking about back home because there was really only one witch in Mystic Falls and she couldn't handle her friend being dead as well. It wasn't allowed.

"Witch?" Kol asked, motioning for Zelda to continue.

"If he found a Hunter than he'd have needed a powerful witch as well. One who was being tutored in expression," Zelda replied, and Caroline's insides froze at the word. Any hope that the woman hadn't meant Bonnie died with mention of that magic. Wasn't that what Shane had been teaching Bonnie? She knew she hadn't liked that man. "The witch needs to die as well. Did he already do that?"

The door opened and Caroline didn't even need to turn around to know who was standing in the threshold. His presence was like a cloud that seemed to envelope her in darkness whenever he was nearby and this time was no different.

"No, but I can," Klaus stated, stepping into the room.

Caroline didn't even think, her own safety be damned, as she rose from the couch, grabbing onto the tableside lamp next to her. She lunged, wanting nothing more than to hit Klaus with the object, to stop him from fulfilling what he said he'd do. She heard Zelda suck in a breath, the woman's fear becoming more prominent, while Kol laughed, merrily and grating on her nerves, as Caroline tried to strike Klaus. He was too quick, easily catching her arms and relieving her of the lamp while simultaneously smashing her body against him, locking her in place so she couldn't do any damage.

"Lovely to see you too, sweetheart."

* * *

Stefan parked Matt's truck behind the other car, watching as Damon got out and headed toward the house. It looked like they weren't worrying about the bodies just yet. He couldn't even remember what had happened to Matt's mom and Jeremy's only family was inside the house, no clue what had happened to her little brother. He leaned forward against the steering wheel, trying to steel himself for what was going to happen, for Elena's reaction to losing Jeremy and Matt in one swoop.

With a heavy sigh, he got out of the car and headed toward the house, not at all surprised when his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket as he continued toward the house, noting Liz' name on the screen. "I'm guessing you're at the lake house," he started, stopping at the doorway, not quite going past the threshold.

Was he supposed to be there for this moment between Elena and Damon? He wanted to offer her comfort, but considering where things stood between the two of them he wasn't sure Elena would welcome or need it. Though he wasn't all that sure that Damon knew exactly how to offer comfort either.

"What the hell happened here?" Liz asked, and he could hear the voices in the background. Firefighters trying to put out the flames, lookieloos hanging around to see what was happening. "Tell me all of you are safe, Stefan."

He didn't answer right away and heard Liz suck in a breath at that, immediately realizing her greatest fear. "It was Jeremy and Matt. Damon and I got their bodies out of there," he told her, leaning against the door frame as he watched Damon catch Elena who dropped to her knees at the news.

Stefan shut his eyes, each sob tearing at his heart, twisting inside of him like a bullet. "I think it was Klaus," he continued, stepping outside to give Elena and Damon some space.

"Why would he burn down the house?" Liz asked, and he could hear the worry in her voice, that underlying tone wondering about her daughter, the fear really sinking in about Caroline's own whereabouts.

"Maybe to force them outside. They were shot," Stefan told her, closing his eyes as Elena's cries got louder, the words she was shouting, pleading with Damon to tell her that it wasn't true. "Klaus couldn't kill Jeremy with his own hands. Not with what it would do to him now. He'd have needed to get others to do it for him."

"You're telling me that one of the people standing here watching this house go up in flames might have unknowingly killed two teenage boys?" Liz replied, blowing out a long wind of air at the idea of it.

"I'd kind of rather believe it was him for some unknown reason than we've got another crazier guy in our midst," Stefan pointed out. The idea of someone else coming into Mystic Falls to kill the two really didn't sit well with him.

"What if she was…?" Liz started, unable to finish her thought, but he knew she was referring to Caroline.

"I don't know. I don't think she was but I don't know." There was no point in lying about it, in trying to sugarcoat it for the woman. He had no idea what Klaus would or wouldn't do any longer, not with how far they had pushed the Hybrid.

"I need to get back to corralling everyone, but let me know Stefan as soon as you know anything," Liz told him, hanging up after he promised again to do just that.

Stefan turned back to the house, heading inside and braced himself for Elena's breakdown. The closer he got the louder her sobs became and the harder it was to hear them. What was supposed to help her with this? When Jenna had died she'd had Jeremy to hold onto, to live for. Same after Alaric had passed. After her parents. What was there now? He wasn't sure if he or Damon would be enough for her to want to go on living.

"Elena," Damon grabbed onto her shoulders, nudging her to look at him. "Stop crying."

Stefan narrowed his eyes as she did just that, sob catching in her throat and tears stopping as soon as he said it. "You're fine," Damon continued, his voice quieter but still urgent, tone still demanding. "Everything is going to be fine. Just go lay down."

"What the hell are you doing?" Stefan demanded as Elena nodded and got up, heading off to do as Damon had directed.

Damon rose, waving a hand at her retreating form. "Didn't you see her? She's devastated. She's going to drive herself crazy crying like that."

"She's _grieving," _Stefan yelled, dropping his hands in frustration as he stared disbelievingly at his brother.

"Grieving doesn't help anyone," Damon replied and turned on his heel, leaving Stefan standing alone in the room.

Stefan stared at where the two had been, could hear Elena laying down on a bed, Damon opening up the liquor cabinet. He knew there would be no talking to his brother in that moment and Elena wouldn't listen to reason either, not with the sire bond forcing her to lie down. Her mind had to be a mess, warring with itself over whether to grieve or if everything was perfectly fine as Damon had told her. He wondered what kind of damage that could do to her psyche if it kept up too long.

He pulled out his phone again and dialed Bonnie's number. He needed that locator spell done now, needed to know that Caroline was alright. "I'm busy, Stefan," Bonnie answered, and there was something off about her tone, something in it that just didn't sit right to him but he couldn't' quite place why he felt that way about it.

"Jeremy and Matt are dead, Bonnie," Stefan hastily told her before she could hang up. He heard the sharp intake of breath and knew she was still listening. But there was no crying, no scream of outrage, no emotion to the boy she cared for and a friend being dead. He didn't like it at all. "Caroline's missing and I need—"

"Don't worry," Bonnie told him, her voice eerily calm. "I'm going to fix everything."

Stefan stared down at his phone when he heard her hang up, shaking his head in disbelief. What the hell was going on and what in the world was he supposed to do next?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading. I know I was horrible and left it on a bit of a cliffhanger last chapter but I hope the Klaroline interaction in this chapter makes up for that. :)**

* * *

No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. -C. S. Lewis

* * *

Caroline twisted in Klaus' grip, trying to get him to let her go. It was useless, he had her practically crushed to his chest and no matter how she struggled he wouldn't release his hold. It was suffocating to be so close to him, almost as if his presence was trying to overpower her, to overwhelm her and suck her into the darkness that she had come to associate with him. But Caroline refused to be pulled into it, wouldn't allow him the satisfaction of her pleading for her friend's life, for the tears that were threatening to spill forth because of her frustration and worry over everything that was happening.

She meant to show him exactly how strong she was, that she would never bow to his whims, and so she narrowed her eyes, glaring up at him as she pushed against his chest, still trying to break free. "You can't kill Bonnie," she protested, her voice eerily calm, trying not to betray that immense worry she felt for her friend. Hadn't Caroline learned by then that Klaus pretty much did whatever he wanted and really, who would stop him? He'd escaped death; he'd escaped containment so many times that she wouldn't be surprised if it had become child's play to him.

"Not only can I but I will if I need to," Klaus told her, voice colder than she'd ever heard it and she didn't like the way it twisted down her spine, paralyzing her with the finality of it. Nor did she like the way his one hand dug into her back, fingers biting into the fabric of her dress, bruising her skin underneath. She realized what he was doing, just like he had with his grip on her chin only a day or so ago. This was a mark and she didn't like the thought of him possessing her.

"_No_," she shrieked, emotions entirely too heightened and her finely tuned control slipping away as she bared her fangs at him, wanting so badly to make him hurt in that moment. Could she rip open his throat before he had a chance to stop her? Kol would probably end up staking her in response for it, but Caroline had a feeling it'd be worth it for the shock on Klaus' face the second after her fangs sunk into his neck.

Except she was wary of how Klaus' fangs descended as he looked down at her, his grip tightening on her, those fingers that had only been bruising now leaving holes in the fabric and tearing into her skin. She could smell her own blood and her eyes widened because that coupled with the dark, primal look in his eyes, the yellow beginning to show in the irises, was throwing her down a path she had no intention of ever venturing. She forced her face to return to normal, fangs once again going back above the gum line and looked away from Klaus, unable to handle how he regarded her in that moment.

"If it wasn't for her you'd have been in that damn coffin and Alaric would have killed you. You'd be dead now," Caroline pointed out, trying to find a reason for him to not want Bonnie dead. Even she found her reasoning to be flawed on that one though.

"As would you," Klaus reminded, loosening his grip on her and she stepped back and away from him, the skin on her hip already knitting itself back together, but she felt like his fingerprints were seared there anyway. "As would your precious Tyler."

Caroline glared at him, but held her tongue, jutting her chin out as she sat back down on the couch. She would not rise to that bait, instead she would sit still and hope her time with the Originals was about to come to an end. Get the information she needed and be on her merry way. Something told her that wasn't about to happen, but a girl could dream, right?

"Wasn't their lover's spat adorable?" Kol drawled, and Caroline wanted to fly at him as well, to bash his head into the desk and stop the annoying lilt of his voice from echoing in the air. His cheerfulness was so damn grating, reminding her of a psychotic clown, supposed to be something happy, friendly to kids but really all it wanted to do was lure them away and gobble them whole. She really wouldn't be surprised if horror writers had been inspired by the youngest Mikaelson brother for that particular trope. "I have to say, brother, little Miss Forbes has quite the tongue on her. I'm sure you'll find a number of uses for it."

Klaus was across the room before Caroline could blink, pinning Kol to the wall. Zelda let out a heavy sigh and Caroline could see the woman's entire body tremble with fear. "Did you forget what I said I would do if you continued to speak of her in such a way?" Klaus demanded, hand wrapping around Kol's neck.

There was no fear from his brother though, only an amused laugh, high and free as though he wasn't afraid of anything. "Oh come now, Nik, we're all friends here." Kol glanced over at Caroline. "Isn't that right, Caroline, darling?"

Caroline didn't bother to reply to that, biting back a comment about kidnappers not being friend material and instead looked away from the scene. Let them kill one another for all she cared. Not that they could even do so without the white oak stake.

"Forbes?" Zelda asked, drawing Caroline's attention to her. "Caroline Forbes of Mystic Falls?"

Caroline's brow furrowed in confusion, wondering how the woman knew where she was from. "Your father is Bill Forbes," Zelda continued, and Caroline really didn't like that the woman seemed to know that either.

"How do you know that?" she asked, sensing that the dispute between the brothers had ended and their focus was once again on the witch.

"You won't need to use what I gave you to find Sanai and her Coven," Zelda replied, glancing over at Kol. "Her father can bring you to them. He traveled with them for some time."

"Been holding back on us, have you?" Kol asked, tsking at Caroline who shook her head.

"He can't. He's dead," she muttered, refusing to look at any of them for a long moment. "And what do you mean he was traveling with them?" That was definitely news to her.

"I am sorry for your loss," Zelda told her, and the woman sounded sincere so Caroline looked over at her, nodding at the genuine feel to the woman's expression. "He was making it his life's work to learn more about the supernatural world. He wanted to do more to guard against what he saw to be the evil that supernaturals could do. Something of a family legacy. The Forbes have been the guardians of Mystic Falls for some time now—usually in the form of the Sheriff."

Caroline had known that much about her family history. The ancestor her father was named after had been the Sheriff of the town back in the 1860's as had the rest of the firstborn males all the way down the line to her grandfather. But instead of her father taking on the mantle it had been her mother, while her father had left the town. He'd returned with ways to try and torture the bloodlust out of her, unable to be compelled, and had ideas of how to successfully break the Sire bond. Really it wasn't all that farfetched that he'd been living his life away to learn more about the supernatural world.

Even if it did shatter the illusions she'd have of him and Steven living a perfectly normal life together in their small townhouse in Virginia. "Not going to do us any good if he's dead, Zelda," Kol drawled, and Caroline's nails dug into her knees, refusing to reply to Kol's inconsideration.

"He had a partner, didn't he?" Klaus asked and Caroline inwardly cringed, not at all surprised he would know about that considering he seemed to have looked into her life some. "Samuel? Seth?"

"Steven," Zelda supplied, and Caroline pressed her lips together, thoroughly annoyed that the witch had given them more information. "He accompanied Bill on his travels."

"Not a complete loss then," Kol chirped, sitting down beside Caroline. "And I'm sure you can bring us to him so we can get whatever we need out of little Steven."

"Go to hell," Caroline bit out, narrowing her eyes. Like hell she was going to give them his location. Not with Klaus so easily killing people and she was pretty sure Kol would find doing so even easier.

Just like that the room seemed to grow colder, Kol's features darkening significantly and she had a feeling she would have been shoved against a wall, some piece of furniture driven into her stomach in a second if Klaus hadn't wrenched her off of the couch and behind him in one easy swoop. "Same rules apply," Klaus reminded, his tone hard and unweilding.

"You better get her to talk then," Kol demanded, already rising from the couch and glaring at her. His temper disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared, doling out a mocking smile once again. "I'm sure you'll enjoy being all sorts of persuasive, Nik. You always did enjoy breaking pretty little things to your will."

Caroline shuddered at the implications in his tone. There was a time when she would have strongly protested Klaus doing that to her, but that had been before twelve dead hybrids and his harsh promises to her. Now she really didn't know what he was capable of doing to her any longer. She realized she'd been holding onto Klaus' jacket when he'd pushed her behind him, out of Kol's reach, and she immediately let go, reacting as though the material scorched her hands.

"I'm famished," Kol continued, flashing over to Zelda, and pressing a kiss to the witch's cheek. She stiffened for a moment but when he made no move to end her life, gently patted his cheek. "Until we meet again, darling."

He glanced over at Klaus and Caroline, winking. "I'll meet up with you two later."

Silence reigned for a few moments, Caroline and Zelda trying to comprehend what had just happened while Klaus ruminated over what to do next. Caroline glanced at the witch and Klaus before looking toward the exit. She wondered how far she could make it before Klaus caught her. Probably not that far, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it? She might not get another opportunity again. She knew that they weren't letting her go, not if she could bring them to someone who could lead them to the Coven that would help save the world.

It wasn't like Caroline wanted the world to end, she wanted to save it as well, but with her friends, not with two homicidal Originals that might turn on her at any moment. She wanted to be with people she actually trusted.

Klaus seemed to have assessed her thought process and grabbed her arm. At least his grip wasn't painful that time, though she knew she wouldn't be able to break free from it. "Seeing Steven could potentially help, Caroline," Zelda told her, and Caroline glanced at the witch again, noting the streaks of grey that had appeared in the woman's hair, the increase of wrinkles of the woman's face. "The sacrifice of one can benefit the many."

"I'd rather not sacrifice anyone," Caroline muttered, blanching at the idea of sacrificing the man she had known for so many years. The man her father had loved. So not allowed to happen.

"We don't always get what we want," Klaus bit out, grip tightening on her arm before he flashed the two of them out of the building.

Caroline didn't know where they were going or what would happen next. All she did know was that she didn't like those words and she would figure out a way to ensure that Steven didn't die by any Originals' hands.

* * *

Somewhere deep inside Bonnie was screaming for Jeremy and Matt's death, cursing at the unfairness of it all for them to lose more people. Hadn't they lost enough already? Why did two more have to die? And why specifically did have to be those two—one a friend since childhood and the other the boy she loved, who she had sacrificed parts of herself to save on more than one occasion. Deep inside she was grieving for their loss, wanting to lash out at the world for this significant blow so soon after Shane's death.

Outwardly though, her expression was like stone, unfeeling and unwavering as she tore apart Shane's office, trying to find anything that would tell her more about his mission. There was movement outside in the hallway, the sounds of people coming and going and she felt the sun on her back through the window indicating that the day had started.

Waving a hand, she sent one of the chairs sailing across the room and up against the door, effectively blocking it should anyone try to get inside. A twist of her wrist pulled the fire alarm and she heard everyone start exiting the building, murmurs of drills or real scenario filling the air and she flicked her hand, causing the sprinklers to go off as well. That seemed to hurry the people out of the building and away from her.

The sprinklers in Shane's office didn't go off and she started up the computer, gaze roaming around the room again as she tried to think of where else to look. There was a photo on the desk of Shane, his wife and their son. She had heard a little about his family, knew that the other two had died in a car crash and that was what had sent him on his own sabbatical over the last year. She wondered if he had any idea where that solo retreat would have led him back then. Had he sought this out? Hoping that the myths he taught about were real?

Most wouldn't have though, even if the myths were tempting to follow, to believe in, most people nowadays wouldn't give much credence to the stories of the past. Most wouldn't believe in witches, in vampires. Not outside of the movie screens and novels meant to satisfy their own need for darkness.

Bonnie figured that meant Shane had already had an encounter with something supernatural, had already known that at least some of it was real for him to actively pursue the myths for as long as he had. Perhaps her grandmother because he had known Sheila but she wasn't one hundred percent certain that was the case.

The computer turned on and after typing in the password he'd given her ages ago, she blinked at the tiny button on the desktop with her name on it. Clicking it opened up a document and she carefully read over it twice.

_Bonnie. _

_If you're reading this it means I'm dead. It means you're going to need to carry on what I failed to accomplish. The cure is with Silas, Bonnie. It's your only chance to save your friends from their existence. _

_But there's more. You can do so much more than simply cure them. You need to bring Silas Back, Bonnie. It's the only way to bring back everyone else. _

_Your Grams. Me. My wife and son. They can all return. Every single one of them that was taken before their time. Call Valerie. Her number is below. She'll know  
how to help you complete everything. _

_Shane. _

She couldn't discount that bringing people back was tempting—her Grams, Jeremy and Matt. Maybe Jenna. Elena's parents. Alaric. Everyone who had been killed in this damn war that wasn't theirs to fight. Wouldn't that be something? But even if she didn't do that she needed the cure. That was what mattered the most to her. The cure would help Elena and Caroline be human again. It could make the other vampires human and she could end Klaus and all the rest like him. He would never be able to hurt any of them ever again.

Bonnie picked up her cell, ignoring the missed calls from Stefan, Damon, even Elena. She dialed the number and waited for someone to answer. "Who is this?" a woman's voice demanded, and Bonnie arched a brow at the wariness it contained.

"Bonnie Bennett. Is this Valerie? Shane said I should contact you," Bonnie told her, hearing the woman's breath catch and she knew the woman had deduced what had become of the professor. Not the exact circumstances, but no doubt she wasn't expecting Bonnie's call unless he was dead.

"I told him he was a fool for trusting the vampires with what he knew," Valerie hissed, and there was a loud sound on her end. "But he found you and that was what mattered."

"I don't see how finding me mattered," Bonnie muttered. It certainly hadn't done Shane any favors.

"You're a Bennett. Already coming from a powerful witch line. Adding in expression to your natural capacity for power only intensifies what you'll be able to do once you're trained properly," Valerie informed her. "And I can do that for you. I practice it as well, though never to the degree you'll be able to handle."

"Is it true?" Bonnie asked, glancing over at the photograph of Shane family. "The cure is with Silas?"

"Yes," Valerie replied. "It is there."

"Then where is he? I'll go now and get the thing," Bonnie told her. Surely the woman knew where the cure was. Shane must have told her. He had to have because they no longer had access to the map with Jeremy dead.

"You could get to the location but not to where he is. You'll need to hone your powers before you can do that and we'll need your friend, the one with the mark," Valerie informed her and just like that Bonnie's stomach flopped.

"He's dead. Jeremy. The one with the Hunter's mark. He's dead," Bonnie replied, and stared hard at the door, willing the emotions just below the surface to stay there. She couldn't afford to cry right now, to lose it over him being dead. Not yet. Not if there was a chance she could get him back.

"No matter," the witch muttered, her voice harsh for a moment before turning gentle. "I am sorry for his death." She snapped something at someone else and Bonnie couldn't quite make out what she was saying. "We'll find another Hunter. There are four more out there. Dozens of potentials waiting to for their destiny to arise."

Bonnie didn't have an answer for that. She'd never heard of Hunters before this year, hadn't read about them in any of the grimoires or her own studies into the supernatural world, so she didn't see how they could be that easy to find. But she had to hope they would be so that she could get the cure and maybe get the others back as well.

"I'm going to give you the address of a friend who's near Whitmore," Valerie continued. "She'll get you here to us and we'll help you reach your potential so that you can complete the needed tasks and get the cure, save the world from all of the injustices of vampires."

"Just let me know where to go," Bonnie murmured, jotting down the address that Valerie rattled off before she hung up.

She stared down at her phone, taking in the photo of Caroline, Elena and her from their sophmore year. Back before Caroline had been a vampire. Back before Elena had met the Salvatores. When things had been normal. She hadn't known of her witch ancestry yet, known of her own abilities, and she wouldn't give those up for anything, but that wasn't the same as what had happened to them. Being a witch was natural, being a vampire wasn't. And they could go back to what they had been, they could be happy again. Have actual lives that didn't revolve around death and destruction.

"I swear I'll save us all," Bonnie promised before pocketing her phone.

Someone was at the door, trying to get in, yelling at someone else that it was locked. Thankfully they couldn't see her through it and she grabbed her things and opened the window, climbing out of it and heading out to find the friend Valerie had spoken of. One step closer to making everything right and getting them their lives back.

* * *

Klaus kept a firm grip on Caroline as he flashed them away from Zelda's establishment. He was trying to decide where precisely to take her and keep her occupied while he set out to do a few of his own errands. While he did own a place in the city, he hadn't been to it in years and wasn't sure of how it had endured the years since he'd bothered with upkeep. A hotel would probably be more agreeable to her twenty-first century tastes and give him leverage over her not running off if he played his cards right.

He stopped outside of Omni Royal hotel, their sudden appearance startling a few of those walking along the street, but just as with most supernatural occurrences the humans around them shook their heads and walked on. No doubt thinking it was a trick of the light or that they hadn't been paying all that much attention. No two people just appeared out of thin air like that. There was always a logical explanation.

"Unless you'd like me to eat the entire lobby full of people, keep your mouth shut and do as I say," Klaus bit out to her, eyes narrowing as he looked down at Caroline.

Her attention had been on the building in front of them, eyes wide as she took in the wrought iron balconies and hanging lanterns on the outside of the building. The awe in her expression had him smiling briefly, seeing the wanderlust in her eyes that was so quickly dashed as she took in what he had said. Klaus hated that he had snuffed it out, her enthusiasm quickly replaced with a scowl, gaze venomous as she looked at him.

"Like I could stop you if you really wanted to hurt anyone," she told him, and while that fury, that drive that Caroline Forbes seemed to always have within her was still as tempting as ever, Klaus wanted the sparkle back. That interest in the world around her.

Seemed he'd get an opportunity to tempt her with all he could offer much sooner than he'd imagined. He let go of her arm and went to open the door instead, motioning for her to step through. He saw her hesitation, could almost hear the thoughts in her head trying to decide if she could flash away in time but a flash of yellow in his eyes had her walking inside. Klaus followed after her, catching her arm as he walked beside her and linked it with his own, keeping her beside him.

He felt her stiffen, no doubt not wanting the invasion to her personal space, but he saw her gaze flicker around the lobby as well. Watched as her mouth made a perfect O as she looked over the statues adorning the walk way, the chandelier that hung above them in greeting, before he pulled her toward the stairs and up to where the concierge was located. Klaus released his hold of her as he stood at in front of the desk, smiling pleasantly at the man. Caroline didn't leave his side, her attention on the details of the lobby. Small glances at the people walking by, either to their own rooms or out to explore the city, and then back at him, knowing he'd make good on his earlier threat.

"Sir, mademoiselle, how might I be of service?" the man asked, his accent native to Louisiana and Klaus leaned forward, pupils dilating as he let his compulsion take hold.

"You'll find that I have a reservation for the penthouse suite. Block it out on the calendar and make note that we do not wish to be disturbed," Klaus told the man, pleased when the man repeated the words and then set about typing onto the computer in front of him.

Caroline scoffed at his side and Klaus arched a brow at her. "Do you use compulsion to get everything that you want?" she asked, fixing him with a look that expressed her disgust.

"Not everything," Klaus replied, purposefully looking her over. He watched her swallow, the faint reddening of her cheeks, before she let out another derogatory noise and looked away from him, arms crossing against her chest. Perhaps he should point out that doing so only gave him ample view of her breasts.

Klaus smirked and looked back at the man, taking the keycards from him. "Would you like me to have someone bring your bags to your room?" the concierge asked, and Klaus shook his head.

"Won't be necessary. Go on with your day as normal," Klaus told him, taking Caroline's arm again and leading her toward the elevator.

"I don't know what you _think_ is going to happen right now," Caroline started, dragging her feet as they neared the elevator. "But I am _not_ getting into a bed with you."

"While I do quite enjoy the way your mind was working there, love," Klaus told her as he pushed the button and turned back toward her, leaning in far too close for comfort again. "I have matters to take care of and figured you would like to shower, perhaps get some new clothes to wear and rest after the debacle with Kol."

"_Or_ I could just go home," Caroline suggested, even as she followed him into the elevator.

"You're a smart girl, Caroline. I'm sure by now that you know that's not going to happen," Klaus replied, hitting the button for the penthouse suite.

"Are you going to threaten to kill my mom too if I run?" Caroline asked, leaning back against the cool elevator wall and away from him. Her gaze was fixed on his though, unweilding, though he could see the slight tremor in her body, could smell the fear that he would.

"No," Klaus told her, watching as she let out a breath, looking a little relieved at that fact. "I think what Zelda revealed about Silas being freed and taking down the Other Side will be enough for you to stay. After all, if he successfully does so your mother will be dead and you will never see her again."

She looked away then, not willing to answer him, yet Klaus knew he'd won that particular argument. Caroline Forbes would do anything to save that mother of hers. The elevator stopped, door opening for them and they exited together.

The entrance to the rooftop pool was to the right, the walkway to their suite to the left, but he watched Caroline freeze in the hallway. Her fists were bunched at her sides, gaze fixed on the window that overlooked the pool. He spotted what she was seeing then. A little girl had fallen and scraped her knee, nasty little gash oozing out blood. He looked back at Caroline who had her eyes closed, the veins around them puffing out, bloodlust trying to take over.

"How long has it been since you ate?" Klaus asked, grabbing onto her arm and directing her toward the suit. Part of him wanted to let her go, to watch her make quick work of the people at the pool who were merrily going about their day, clueless to the monsters in their midst. He knew that she would never forgive him if he allowed her to do so, had a feeling her control wouldn't allow it to happen either.

"A day? Two? Not since the morning of the winter carnival," she muttered, still taking deep breaths and he noted that the veins around her eyes were back to normal as he opened the door to the suite.

"Change of plans then." He had intended to have her rest while he took care of some matters, but it looked as though they were going to need to go and feed first and then he'd deposit her back at the hotel and take care of the rest of it.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked, smoothing down her curls and he had to hand it to her for how quickly she had overcome the urge to feed considering how young she was. He'd seen vampires decades older than her snap quicker.

"We're going to go get a bite to eat," Klaus told her, fishing out his phone to send a text to let Kol know of where they would be staying. He'd leave one of the cards downstairs for his brother to pick up when he was done enjoying the city.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll just order myself a steak that's like nearly raw, get some alcohol, some Cheetos. I'm good." Caroline shook her head, walking away from him and into the sitting room of the suite.

"That will hardly sustain you," Klaus pointed out, annoyance starting to form at her lack of caring over her own well-being. "You need to feed."

"I am _not_ going out there and eating someone. I don't do that. I'm not going to do that. I _don't_ need your help," Caroline spat out, glaring at him as she turned around. "Your help equals freaking _killing_ people."

"Kol would have killed you," Klaus reminded and from her shudder, he knew she believed that to be true, but still she wouldn't accept what he had done as the correct outcome.

"Jeremy was a _friend_," Caroline cried out, shaking her head at him. "And I know that even now you're thinking of killing Bonnie. You could have come up with a way to do it all _without _killing anyone. You just didn't want to. You like it."

Klaus flashed in front of her, eyes narrowing. "I do. I _love it._ Having their life in my hands, watching it slip away because I deem their life over," Klaus started, smirking at her as he reached out, fondling a curl. She shivered at the contact, swatting his hand away, and he grinned, enjoying her hiss. He caught her wrist, first one and then the other when she swung them at him, trapping them against his chest with one hand. She may have vampire strength at her disposal, but his thousand years and Hybrid nature made her no match for him in that department.

With his free hand he stroked the curve of her neck. "Having that _control_ at my fingertips, them at _my _mercy. It's a high you almost never come down from. That very few others can beat. Don't tell me you've never felt it, Caroline."

There was no fear coming off from her then, only anger and a hint of arousal at what he had said. She may have impeccable control, but there was no way she hadn't killed before and from the way she licked her lips, he knew his assessment was correct.

Caroline whipped her head back, trying to get his fingers off of her. "Like I said. I'm not eating with you," she told him and he released his hold on her, letting her step back.

"You'll only make the cravings worse until you do. Wouldn't want to lose that precious control and snack on the next child with a skinned knee," Klaus arched a brow at her, seeing the internal war inside of her over what to do.

"It's a delightful feeling, blood directly from the vein. Nothing quite as satisfying as it. Your bags only go so far and make you nowhere near as powerful as you could be if you opted for the fresher diet, the one you're supposed to be enjoying," he continued, urging her to give in, to come out and live a little. While her control was admirable, she was also forgoing part of her nature and at some point that would catch up with her if she didn't learn to allow the monster inside out once and a while. "And New Orleans is a town ripe for the picking."

She didn't look at him for a long moment and Klaus grinned as she took a long breath, hopes rising that she would join him and he could share a little of the world with her. But her gaze was hard as she looked at him, a picture perfect example of her inner strength in the way she stood, openly defying him. "I'd rather die than feed with you."

"Just like you'd rather have died of thirst than drink with me?" he asked, smirking at her. "And look how often we've done that now, Caroline. After all, champagne is one of our things."

"We don't have a thing," she groused, none of the playfulness of the other day in her voice, and he could see her nails biting in her palm as she tried to reel in her emotions.

Klaus simply grinned and turned around, heading for the door. "Feel free to order what you need, but do not leave the hotel." He glanced back at her. "I can find you anywhere, Caroline. Try not to forget that."

"Just like you could find Katherine?" Caroline snapped back and he could hear the slight victory in her tone, thinking she'd brought up something to counter his own beliefs.

"I always knew roundabouts where she was, sweetheart. It became a game to see how much I could make her suffer as she ran, how long she thought she could go without hearing wind of me being near. Watching her safety net be destroyed over and over again. As for you," Klaus told her, gaze traveling up and down her curves. "I'd know where you were for far more _pleasurable_ reasons."

He was gone before she could come up with a witty response.

* * *

Leaving Elena alone with Damon wasn't really what he'd wanted to do. Not after how his brother had handled Elena's breakdown. He'd seen her afterward once she'd finished resting and Elena had looked as though she was at war with herself, unsure how to react to anything. It tore him apart inside to see her like that but when he'd approached her she had reared back as though she'd been stung. Stefan knew then that she hadn't forgiven him for keeping her in the dark about the cure, for all that had happened, and had a feeling from the anger in her gaze that she blamed him for Jeremy and Matt's death. It didn't make any sense for that to be the way it was, but Stefan had learned long ago that the thought processes while grieving usually didn't.

But the bodies needed to be dealt with. Taking them from the scene probably hadn't done any of them any favors and they were only going to decompose laying in the back of Matt's truck with a tarp thrown over them. Matt and Jeremy deserved better than simply being buried in the woods, bodies eventually dug up and torn apart by the wildlife.

He stared at the truck trying to figure out the next step when he heard a car pulling up the driveway. Turning, he spotted Liz' police cruiser and pushed himself away from the truck, heading over to her.

"I heard from Caroline," Liz informed him as she got out of the car, the relief evident in her voice and he felt a great weight lift off his shoulders as well. "Klaus and Kol have her but she's okay. For now." The worry was back and no doubt the Sheriff was wondering how her daughter could be okay in the hands of the Hybrid who had not only killed his own hybrids, but the Mayor, and was looking pretty good for a few more murders all in less than twenty-four hours.

"I don't think he'll hurt her," Stefan told her, trying to sound like he meant those words. He didn't think Klaus would _kill_ Caroline, but hurt…he really didn't know any more. "But why does he have her?"

That's what didn't make any sense. Why kill Shane? While he wasn't one hundred percent certain that was what happened, it made more sense than some random stranger having killed the Professor. He just couldn't figure out the reasoning behind it. Klaus needed Shane and Jeremy alive for the damn cure. What the hell could have happened for the Original to destroy his means of getting it?

"Kol kidnapped her on the way to the house. She was his leverage against Klaus to get some things done," Liz glanced at the truck, shaking her head. She had the same suspicions that Jeremy and Matt had been part of those 'things'. "I don't understand why she would make good leverage and she wasn't very forthcoming about that either. So I suggest you start talking, Stefan. What the hell has my daughter gotten herself involved in?"

Stefan sighed. How was he supposed to explain to Liz that they'd used Klaus' emotions against him? That they had gotten Caroline to step into the role to distract the Hybrid over and over again? That by doing so it'd only seemed to increase his obsession with the blonde vampire.

"He wants her," Stefan replied after a long moment, not surprised at the widening of Liz' eyes, the shaking of her head. "I'm not sure if the fact he hasn't resorted to compulsion to get what he wants is a good thing or not in this case. If he'd used compulsion he'd have got what he wanted already and it'd be over." Though Caroline would probably also be dead and how horrible were all of them for willingly putting her in a situation where she could have died multiple times by now? "But he hasn't. He seems to want her to be willing. He's not opposed to using threats though."

Liz looked horrified and he couldn't blame her for any of that. "Why? Why does he want Caroline?" Hadn't she been doing so good? Keeping her grades up? Applying to colleges and going on with her life as if nothing had truly changed? How was she supposed to live anything close to a normal life if Klaus wasn't going to willingly leave it? "What got him so fixated on her?"

"I don't know," Stefan answered, and that was the truth. There were plenty of great aspects to her daughter, but he had no idea what it was exactly that had pulled Klaus in.

Liz's hands were shaking as she grabbed onto the back of the truck, but he couldn't be sure if it was because of fear or anger. Probably a bit of both. "I should have listened to her father," Liz muttered, pressing her forehead against the cool metal. "Let him take her when he left town, but I knew with his life, with his travels he couldn't give her something stable." She pushed away from the truck, the shaking ceasing and Stefan wondered if that emotional control was a trait she shared with her daughter. "At least she would have been away from all of this."

She looked back at the truck, focusing on the tarp covering two dead boys she had known all her life. "Let's deal with this and then we can figure out how we're getting my daughter out of their clutches."

Before Stefan could respond he felt someone come up on them using vampire speed. He went to turn, to protect the Sheriff, but his neck was snapped and he was falling to the ground before he could move a muscle. "Sorry, Sheriff, but Stefan and I need to have a chat, so you'll have to deal with whatever mess this is all by yourself," Rebekah informed her, before picking up the Salvatore and flashing away.

Liz stared at the spot they had been a second ago and then headed to the house. "Get your ass out here, Damon," she shouted as she opened the door and then turned around, knowing the older Salvatore would follow.

She'd deal with the two dead boys and then figure out how in the world to help her daughter.

* * *

It had been easy enough for Kol to find the tiny little herb shop in New Orleans that belonged to the witch. He also knew that enough time had passed that Zelda might have tipped her off to his coming. He liked the element of surprise and knew it probably wouldn't be one he could use. Pity. He'd have to get rough with the witch from the start.

He waited across the street, up on the rooftop of one of the buildings and watched the shadows in the store, listened to the conversations, for the heartbeats. There were two women inside and one man. The shop belonged to Nandi and theoretically she should be the last one to leave, but he had learned some time ago that people would leave others to the wolves if it mean their own survival.

Kol focused on the heartbeats instead, noting which one seemed to be beating the fastest, smiling when it's rate increased as the woman left the shop. The other two still inside had slightly elevated rates but nothing like this one. She was trying to get away, fearful for her life. The others were most likely worried about her, not themselves.

Kol waited until she was past the shop and veering down a street, easily jumping between rooftops before dropping down onto the street in front of the woman. "I must say, did no one ever tell you that the whole running thing only serves to give us a rush?" he asked, thoroughly amused by the fear mixed with power that rose from the woman. "Nandi, I presume? I'm simply here to talk."

He raised his hands, palms outward, trying to look nonthreatening. "Zelda's an old friend, said you might know a few things."

"Then why did she warn me of you coming?" Nandi spit, watching him warily and looking ready to bolt.

"I can't really come up with a good answer for that one," Kol admitted and rushed her, pushing her back against the nearest wall. Her head hit the brick, not enough to kill her, but enough to ruin her focus. The only one who would have a nasty headache that night would be her.

"What do you want?" she asked, hand pressed to her head as she let out a small moan.

"I want to know all about your mother," Kol replied, smiling pleasantly at her.

"Because of expression," Nandi closed her eyes, and Kol found the level of disgust in her voice for that kind of magic to be rather amusing. "She tapped into it back in the late forties. Has been repeatedly taping into since then with the rest of her Coven."

"Why?" Kol didn't like the fact that the woman had a Coven. That level of power linked with twelve others could be devastating.

"I thought at first that she was simply mad with power," Nandi sighed, still not opening her eyes. "And she was but what she got from twelve kills wasn't enough. She wanted more. She wants it all."

"Who were her twelve? Were they human?" Perhaps that would shed some more light on the situation.

"No idea who, but yes, they were human. I was young when it happened. But the vampire who did it for her was here a week or so ago. Damon Salvatore. He wanted to break a sire bond," Nandi informed him, and Kol shook his head. Of course it was that one. Seemed he'd need to be paying a visit to the Salvatore house at some point.

"And where might I find her?" Kol asked.

"No idea. I haven't seen her in nearly twenty years. All I know is she's alive," Nandi told him, finally opening her eyes again. She still looked disoriented.

"How do you know that?" Kol inquired, watching for any signs of lying.

"She tied my life to hers. I don't die until she does," Nandi replied, before shutting her mouth tight, realizing what she'd just told him.

"I wonder, does it work in reverse?" Kol mused, snapping her neck before she could speak. "I suppose only time will tell." If it did then that was one less witch using expression roaming around and if didn't then oh well. At least he had stopped the witch from tapping into her daughter's powers.

Mission accomplished as far as Kol was concerned.

* * *

After leaving Caroline, Klaus had ventured off into the city. It hadn't taken him long to check in with a few acquaintances, making sure agreements of the past were still fully in place before he sought out a bite to eat. There were establishments that quietly catered to his kind, run by either witches or other vampires who had put down roots in the city. In the hustle and bustle that was New Orleans the fact that someone didn't age like everyone else wasn't as noticeable. Not with the superstitions that ran rampant, that the city thrived on and helped make it flourish. The locals who noticed either benefited in some way from the witch or vampire's existence or they simply didn't speak of it, not wanting to antagonize the spirits that had a hold on the city.

He hadn't wanted a nicely catered meal though. After his discussion with Caroline Klaus had been on high alert, the tension running ripe through his body and he needed to release it before heading back to the hotel. He also knew he couldn't stay away for too long, not wanting Kol to have any more time alone with the girl.

He spotted a group of college students heading back from a bar and one of them waved goodbye to his friends, venturing off in a different direction. He was heading away from the hustle and bustle of the busier streets and Klaus grinned at his stroke of luck, steering towards the young man.

He had always been one for the thrill of the chase, even back when he was human. Of course, back then he had been stalking animals and doing everything after the kill to appease the gods for their bounty. It had been about survival back then and while he did need blood to survive even now, there was no reason to stalk his current prey, to flash in and out behind the young man, thrilled at the rise in his fear level.

Klaus waited until the man's heart rate seemed to drop back to nearly normal, saw that gleam of hope in his eyes as he neared the door to the building, could almost see the young man berating himself for an overactive imagination. Hand just ghosting the doorknob, nearly free, and Klaus pounced, grabbing the young man before he could make the threshold and smiled in greeting. The man's eyes widened in terror, all hope gone as he stared up at Klaus' full on hybrid face.

The man was dead in a matter of minutes, blood drained and Klaus dropped him to the ground, wiping his mouth clean as he headed away and back towards the hotel. He passed by a clinic and stopped, pondering how much favor he might win from Caroline if he was able to procure her a few blood bags for their travel. Keeping her on edge, especially if the girl refused to feed, had its benefits as well, but he had killed two of her friends, had it in his mind to kill another, and it couldn't hurt to try and cater a little to her needs.

The clinic was open and the woman behind the front counter rose as soon as she saw him. "Are you okay, sir?" she asked, staring at his shirt.

Klaus glanced down, noting that he'd been a little messy with his earlier snack. "You won't remember this meeting," Klaus easily compelled, smiling at the woman and making note of the security camera behind him. He'd need to make sure she erased his time in the clinic. "Be a dear and go get me a few blood bags from the back. Preferably B+." If he remembered that was Caroline's favorite.

A few minutes later and he was on his way back to the hotel with four blood bags tucked into a container meant to help keep them chilled. He entered the hotel to find that Kol hadn't yet returned and heard the shower running in one of the suites bathrooms. There was a cart with empty plates and from the smell he knew Caroline had ordered herself a rare steak and eaten the entire thing. From the other discarded plates and bowls, it looked as though fries and ice cream had been added to the order. Klaus placed the blood in the fridge located in the kitchen and slipped out of the suite again, heading down to the shops at the lower level.

Not even a half hour later he was back with a few sets of clothes for his brother, himself and Caroline from one of the boutiques. The shower was off and he heard Caroline moving about in one of the rooms. "I have something you might want," Klaus informed her from the other side of the door.

He smiled at her snort. "Doubt it," she replied.

Klaus looked down at the doorknob and then back at the door. "A lock will hardly keep me out if I want to come inside, Caroline," he reminded her and heard her annoyed grunt before she opened the door.

"What do you want? I personally want to go to bed so this better be good," she snapped, tightening the hotel robe around her body.

He held out the bag that clothes in it for her. She looked suspiciously at the bag. "What could I possibly be giving you in a bag that might hurt you, Caroline?" Klaus asked, unsure whether he was amused or annoyed.

"I'm sure you could think of something," Caroline murmured but took the bag, hesitantly looking into it. She relaxed a little at seeing the clothes before looking back up at him. "Thank you. Even if it is kind of weird that you know like all of my measurements."

"I make it a point to know all I can about what I find captivating," Klaus informed her, arching a brow at the little inhale of breath, the way she held the bag closer to her chest, trying to keep herself contained from him. "There are also a few blood bags in the fridge. You might want to have two tonight and the others in the morning to get your strength back up."

Her expression was conflicted, the uncertainty of whether she should be appreciative or annoyed warring in her face. "Thank you," she told him, the softness of her voice reminding him of that night in the Mystic Falls high school hallways and how she had said it back then. It had amazed Klaus how two words could strike him so hard with their genuineness.

"Did I miss the makeup sex?" Kol asked, causing Klaus to press his lips together in annoyance and Caroline to slam the door to her room shut in Klaus' face. "Must not have been that great. I'm a little disappointed, Nik."

Klaus turned around; his anger over having the moment interrupted only exacerbated by Kol's wagging of his eyebrows. "I looked up to you in that regard at one point," Kol continued, sighing dramatically. "How the mighty fall."

The vase flew at his head, shattering on the wall behind Kol who had easily sidestepped it. "That was a two hundred year old vase. Where is your art appreciation now?" Kol tsked, clearly enjoying the opportunity to rile him up.

"It's about to be jammed down your throat," Klaus replied, his voice much too quiet and Kol knew he shouldn't keep pushing from the malicious gleam in his brother's eyes, but he was never one to stop when he was supposed to.

"I'd think you'd rather be jamming something down hers," Kol told him, flashing to the other side of the room before Klaus could grab onto him. "You really should find an outlet for all that tension. It must be driving you two crazy."

Kol's phone began to ring and he fished it out of his pocket, still quietly laughing at his brother's rage. "Hello, sister," he greeted, pleased at finally seeing her name on the tiny screen. "Fancy telling me where you've been?"

Klaus frowned, knowing whatever Rebekah said would not be in his favor. "He's actually right here, Rebekah dear," Kol continued, all the mirth in his voice gone. "We're currently in New Orleans. Omni Royal. I'm sure we have enough room for you to tag along."

Kol hung up, gaze locked on Klaus who stared back at him. Klaus hated the accusatory look, the disappointment he saw in his brother's expression. "I did what had to be done," Klaus told him.

Kol simply shook his head. "Don't you always," he replied before heading off to one of the rooms, slamming the door shut behind him.

Klaus threw the bag of clothes he'd gotten for his brother, tossed a chair and then a lamp as well, needing to let out some of the anger that was threatening to take over again. Rebekah had to be neutralized. If he hadn't done so they wouldn't have gotten the sword, she would have interfered just as she always did. Something would have gone wrong. Her mind had been too twisted with anger against him that he didn't trust her to destroy the cure just as she had Elena's blood. He would have woken her once his plans had succeeded.

Klaus sank down onto the couch in the sitting room and stared out the window. He heard Caroline's door open, the soft patter of her feet across the floor as she got the bags from the fridge. "Thanks," she whispered, before heading back to her room, locking the door behind her.

Frowning he closed his eyes, other senses still alert to the world around him, and started to think of a few plans for what would happen next, how to manipulate the pieces he knew were in play, and alternatives for when any surprised were thrust upon him. He had no intention of losing out on anything else, not after he'd been forced to destroy his makeshift family. Silas was not allowed to rise and he would do whatever was needed to make sure that didn't happen.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry for the wait everyone. I had the flu last week and wasn't able to get any writing done. It was really annoying. I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! Thank you all so much for reading and have a great weekend! :)**

* * *

"_Your nightmares follow you like a shadow, forever." ― Aleksandar Hemon_

* * *

She had been told since a young age that getting into a stranger's car was a bad idea. Maybe she could feel the kinship of magic between her and the other woman, but Bonnie couldn't shake the unease that ran through her as they drove in silence. She had asked a few questions at the beginning, wanting to know more about how the woman knew Shane and the new witch she was going to meet. Every question had been answered with short, vague responses and she felt restless, only more questions rising from all of the answers, and she didn't like how uncertain everything was currently.

The only thing that kept running through her head was that Jeremy and Matt were dead, technically so were Elena and Caroline, but at least there's wasn't permanent, and if she had her way they'd be back to normal in a few days. And maybe there was some truth to the rest of the nonsense in Shane's parting letter. Maybe she could bring Jeremy and Matt back as well. She'd done it before with Jeremy, but Bonnie wasn't sure that was possible any longer with how cut off she was from the spirits.

"We're here," the woman told her, stopping at the curb to a house. She made no move to park, kept the engine running and motioned for Bonnie to get out. "I need to get back and get my kids to school."

"Thanks for the ride," Bonnie told her, and started to get out of the car.

"We've been waiting for you for a while," the woman told her as Bonnie shut the door, driving away before she had a chance to respond.

Bonnie turned, stopping when she saw another woman standing before her. There was something different about this one, a stronger bond to magic that she hadn't experienced since being around her grandmother. Her hairstyle reminded Bonnie of a film they had watched in school once set in the early fifties, a short, soft wave of brown that coupled with the dress the woman was wearing had Bonnie wondering if the woman had been alive in the fifties. Even if she didn't look old enough to have been.

"Hello, Bonnie Bennett," the woman greeted, nodding politely at her and motioning toward the home in the background. "I'm Valerie LaMarche and welcome to my home." She started walking back toward it and Bonnie had no choice but to follow. "I wish we were meeting under far better circumstances but Shane had reasons for wanting to do things his way. Unfortunately I always knew they would get him killed."

"How did you know?" Bonnie asked, following the woman into the house and then further into the kitchen. There were others around, one making coffee, while the other two disappeared out of the back door before Bonnie could get a good look at them. She might not have vampire senses, but she could hear the sound of people upstairs as well.

"He never should have had Connor go to Mystic Falls to gain his mark. Not with the rumor that the Originals were in town," Valerie told her, beckoning for her to take a seat at the table beside her. "Do you want cream or sugar for your coffee?"

"Just milk," Bonnie replied absently. "They were there. Still are." Maybe. She wasn't entirely certain if Klaus had stuck around or not. What had Stefan said again?

"Far easier ways to have the mark appear than trifling with those creatures," Valerie told her, gaze darkening for a moment before she smiled again. There was something about it that Bonnie didn't quite like, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"For the mark to appear he needed to kill vampires though," Bonnie murmured as a cup of coffee was placed down by her along with the milk carton. "Thank you."

The man who'd done so simply nodded and left the room as well. "And he could have done that anywhere," Valerie replied, before sipping her own coffee. "He did manage two out of the three sacrifices though. And he found you so it's not all lost."

"Sacrifices?" Bonnie placed down her mug, shaking her head. That definitely didn't make sense. She couldn't contemplate Shane being part in any kind of sacrifice. There hadn't been any of those since Klaus' curse breaking any way.

"What all did he tell you?" Valerie asked, and Bonnie sighed, not surprised she wasn't getting a clear explanation.

"After you tell me about the sacrifices," she told the woman, refusing to be played by someone else. Hadn't that happened enough already? Her anger got away from her, the candles in the dining room off to the right igniting in response to her emotions. She could feel the dark pull again, wanting to overpower her, to take over, but she kept it in check, refusing to give herself over to it.

"To wake Silas," Valerie told her, waving a hand to extinguish the flames. "You will have the power to do so. You simply need to learn how to harness it."

"Why would I want to do that? I just want the cure for my friends. That's it," Bonnie told her, side-eying the others who had walked back into the house.

"You can have it," Valerie replied, picking up her mug again. "But if you bring Silas back as well then you can bring back every single person in your life that has died because of _them_." Bonnie frowned, knowing who the woman was referring to but wondering how exactly she knew so much. "Shane said your grandmother died because of the supernatural. Your friends are vampires—turned against their will? Or to save them from such an early, unfair death? How many others that you've known who've been sacrificed for the supernaturals gain? Such as your mother?"

"Bringing people back has consequences," Bonnie murmured, remembering what had happened after she'd brought back Jeremy, after messing with Klaus and Tyler.

"If you use spirits or nature to garner your strength," Valerie replied, that smile back again, but this time there wasn't any mirth to it. "But not if you use expression as Shane had been teaching you. It doesn't pull from either. It pulls from you and from others."

"It kills them." Like she'd done to the poor workers while trying to revive Shane. She had been so lost in her own mind that she hadn't thought through the consequences of her actions. Those men had families that would miss them and she'd been the one to kill them.

"What does that matter when they'll only return on Silas' wake? A noble sacrifice to get you to the level you need to be at," Valerie continued, waving a hand at her worries. Bonnie opened her mouth to protest that. What exactly was the guarantee that anything this woman was telling her would even come to pass. As far as she knew those men were dead. Shane was dead. Jeremy. Matt. "Or would you rather let it all go? Return to being useless to your friends who are barely managing? Do the Originals know about the cure? Do you think they'll walk away from it if they do?"

Bonnie glared at the table. She couldn't fathom Klaus walking away from the cure. Not when it could give him back Elena as a human. And then where would they be? He would go right back to using her as his own personal blood bag. Though Bonnie couldn't understand why he had killed Shane…it had to have been him. He was the only other person who she could think would do so. He was the only one who had any reason to go after him. Had he killed Jeremy and Matt too? She really couldn't put it past him even if she didn't understand why he would do that. Unless he'd tortured the location of the cure out of Shane and didn't need Jeremy and his mark any longer.

"Klaus killed Shane. I think he killed Jeremy too—he was the new Hunter," Bonnie started, trying to make sense of it all. Maybe the others had an idea of why he would do such a thing. "But if a Hunter is needed then…" It didn't add up.

"The Hybrid," Valerie murmured, leaning back in her chair and watching Bonnie carefully. "He would be the one who would be involved in this. At least the others aside from Elijah are daggered."

Bonnie looked up at that. "They're all undaggered. Except Rebekah." Though she had no idea where the other girl's body was residing currently. "And Finn's dead. But Elijah and Kol are out there as well."

"Kol." Valerie's tone grew cold and Bonnie watched as the woman's features hardened, eyes narrowing as she said the name. And then just like that the polite smile was back. "No matter. We'll work ourselves around them."

Bonnie's phone rang and she pulled it out, frowning when she saw the Mrs. Forbes name on the call screen. Sheriff Forbes?" she answered, remembering that Caroline was missing. God she hoped this wasn't news that another of her friends was dead.

"I've been trying to reach you for hours now," she heard the older woman let out a relieved breath, concern evident in her voice. "Two of your friends are dead, Stefan was taken by Rebekah, and Caroline has been kidnapped by her brothers. The last thing I need is for you to go AWOL, Bonnie Bennett."

"Caroline's been kidnapped?" Bonnie asked, rising from the chair as she tried to digest that news. "Why the hell did they take her? I _knew_ using her to distract him all those times would come back to bite us." She would find that damn white oak stake, somehow unlink Klaus from all of his descendants and then shove it into his chest if Caroline was hurt. Stefan being taken by Rebekah was also an issue but she figured he could handle the Original.

"She's okay. I'm still trying to accept the fact that she's being used as leverage against one of the biggest threats we've ever seen, but she's safe. I need to know that you are now too," Liz continued, and nodded for a moment before realizing that the Sheriff wouldn't be able to see that.

"I'm okay. I'm with…friends." Bonnie looked over at Valerie, watching the woman nod at that.

"You remember what I had to say to pick you up from elementary school? You use that if you're not," Liz replied, and Bonnie couldn't help but smile at that.

"I'm really with friends," she promised. "I'll get Caroline back, Sheriff Forbes. Don't worry." Bonnie hung up before the older woman could answer and shut off her phone.

Bonnie knew how volatile Klaus was and the fact he'd killed all of his Hybrids, Shane, and possibly Jeremy and Matt only a day ago, had her worried about her best friend's life. She'd never forgive herself if Klaus killed Caroline too. Not if she could somehow stop it with this new magic that she needed to get a better handle on. This wasn't how their lives were supposed to be. She refused to let them become victims once again.

"What do you need me to do?" Bonnie asked, refusing to lose any more people in her life.

"Who has your friend?" Valerie asked. "Perhaps we can help locate her."

"Klaus does," Bonnie bit out, glasses in the pantry shaking as her anger spiked again. "She should be easy to find. I made her daylight ring. I should be able to locate her using that."

"Did he take her to use against you?" Valerie motioned at the others who started moving again, leaving the room though Bonnie didn't understand why.

"No, she's being used against him. He has a ridiculous obsession with her." And it was going to get Caroline killed. Bonnie just knew it would. Look at what he did to his own family? Who knew what he would do to Caroline if he became enraged enough with her.

The only thing she didn't understand was why anyone would need to use Caroline against Klaus right now. Or why that would even work. She felt like she was missing a huge piece of the puzzle. "Her mom said she was being used as leverage and that Rebekah's brothers have her," she murmured out loud, trying to make sense of it all. "But I don't get why Kol or Elijah would want to use her against Klaus. Or maybe they all got her back from whoever was using her as leverage."

"How curious." Bonnie was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Valerie's intrigued look at that little revelation, the sinister smile that spread across her face for a moment before the politeness was fixed back into place on her features.

"Try not to worry," Valerie continued, reaching over to rest a hand on top of Bonnie's. "We'll locate her and do what we can to help her. Meanwhile you need to work on upping your stamina with spells. That's what Shane was working on with you, preparing you for the amount of magic you'll be taking in as you perform expression. We'll continue doing that at a faster pace so that you and your friends will get the cure and we'll get Silas."

Bonnie nodded. And once she was powerful enough nothing was going to stop her from getting Klaus into a box again and putting him into the damn ocean. The rest of his family could go with him if they tried to get in her way.

"Isaac and Lilian will start you on your training," Valerie told her, motioning to the two people who had reentered the room. "Do you have anything on you that might link us to Caroline?"

Bonnie rose, trying to think if she had anything that could help with that. She pulled out the keys to her house from her pocket. "She made the key ring." The small friendship bracelet Caroline had made for her and Elena back in middle school that had somehow survived since then. Bonnie slid it over to the woman and then followed the other two out of the room, ready to work.

Valerie picked up the keychain, frowning as another of the witches entered the room and waited until the door was closed, Bonnie safely out of range for hearing their conversation. "Kol Mikaelson is awake," she started, nearly spitting out the Original's name. Anyone who wanted to raise Silas knew what that vampire had done to the previous cult, knew to be wary of him and his penchant for destroying what they needed to do. "I have reason to suspect he got the Hybrid to do his bidding to kill Shane and the newly found Hunter." It was a step back in their plans but one that could easily be fixed with a little effort on their part.

There was quite a bit of lore on the Original family and while she didn't know which parts were true and which were fiction, the one constant was always that you didn't want to cross paths with them. Especially Klaus. The only thing he seemed to have an interest in had been the sun and moon curse and his own siblings who were just as unkillable. Though it seemed he had a new obsession and Valerie couldn't help but wonder if that would be useful to keeping him from disrupting what they needed to get done or at least distracting him long enough for them to do as needed.

She turned the keychain over in her hand. "I think we might have the perfect leverage to get him to stop working with Kol." It couldn't hurt to try. She'd simply need to keep Bonnie Bennett from figuring out what she would be doing to her little friend. A vampire. They were a dime a dozen and if Klaus played nicely the girl wouldn't suffer too much.

* * *

Usually her nightmares were the same old things. Memories replaying her father torturing her, Alaric doing the same, the wolves, sometimes the hybrids. Some nights she'd be revisited by what Damon had done back when she'd been his little disposable pet. Constant replaying of some of her greater trials in life so far on an endless loop that she couldn't seem to push her way out of until she woke in the middle of her bed, clutching her covers and reminding herself that she _had_ survived those moments. That they hadn't broken her, not completely, and the little dents they had tried to imprint in her mind and soul were already pounded back out, barely noticeable unless someone was trained to find them.

Sometimes it would be her fears. Watching her friends die around her, unable to save them. Her mother dying at her hand. A thousand little worries that she battled to keep down and out of her mind, that she swore weren't allowed to come true. She'd always wake up and listen for her mom's heartbeat when a dream was a little too real, search out for a reminder that the woman was safe and sound for another night. If Liz wasn't home then Caroline would head to the station, never quite venturing inside, just sitting in her car and searching out for her mother's voice. The sound of it was always enough to soothe away the dark thoughts that would try and haunt her sleep.

This was different though.

Caroline didn't _see_ anything; there were no memories at play, no images at all. She was in complete darkness, not a light to be seen and she couldn't even make out herself. It was unsettling being unable to use her enhanced vision in her dreams. But it was what she felt that was the most troubling. A deep, inexplicable sense of nothingness, as if all the good, all the happiness that she had ever experienced was being sucked away, forced from her and leaving her with nothing to hold onto.

She felt like she was being stripped bare, a worse violation than what Damon had done, and she hated it. Tried to fight it, to hold back whatever was tugging at her head, seeming to branch into her dreams somehow and trying to manipulate her. There was no pain, there was nothing, and that made it worse. She'd rather have experienced something than nothing at all. It frightened her more than anything else had and she didn't understand it, couldn't fight it. She felt more vulnerable in that moment than she'd ever felt at any other point in her life.

She pushed back against the feeling, tried to grapple onto anything that she could remember that made her happy. Her mother's voice, certain cheers, the feel of a horse's mane beneath her fingers. Laughter echoed through the air around her but it shattered, distorting into something awful.

She wanted out, wanted to wake up and tried her usual tricks to get out of a nightmare, but none worked. She wasn't in control of whatever was happening and she knew it. The vulnerability of that frightened her, was no doubt expected to terrorize her, but she tried to manipulate her fear to her advantage. She wasn't about to be a victim again, especially not in her own mind.

"Let him know if they keep this up I will strip you of your mind," a voice called out in her head, ugly and foreign.

What? What the hell was the voice even going on about? She couldn't pin point its gender, couldn't get a gage at all on it aside from the menacing factor to it.

"You will be nothing but a pretty doll to cart around," it continued, and she shivered at that idea. "Though perhaps that's what he's after anyway. A beautiful doll to add to his collection of beautiful things."

She wanted to tell the voice to shut up, but no matter how hard she tried to talk no sound would come out. "End this quest or suffer the consequences," the voice continued and turned in the darkness, trying to pinpoint it, wanting to destroy it.

"I think you need a taste of what that will be like."

Caroline blinked and she was lying in the hotel bed but she couldn't move, no matter the amount of effort she put into trying to do so. Klaus was there, hovering over her, touching her face and he looked severely agitated. He was saying something but she couldn't understand him and once he saw that her eyes were open his worried expression turned infinitely more disturbed.

And then there was nothing again, just the overwhelming darkness that was trying to pull her down. "Get them to stop, child, or you will endure that fate."

Was this what drowning felt like? Trying to breathe and being constantly pushed down by the water, trying to push back up, flailing for life, but unable to reach it?

"Caroline."

Her head snapped toward the voice, trying to place where she'd heard it before, trying to figure out exactly where it was coming from. She couldn't find it though. Only black. Darker than she had ever experienced and she struggled against the overwhelming weight that seemed to be crushing her, tugging her downward.

"Caroline."

The voice was nearer but she still couldn't see it, couldn't latch onto it for the help she felt like it was trying to provide. Her struggling increased, causing the darkness to seemingly surround her, pulling her further away, pressing her downward.

And then suddenly it was over and she was sitting up in the bed, voicelessly screaming and Klaus was sitting beside her, one of his hands on her arm, anchoring her in place. She frantically looked around, shivering at the coldness that still seeped into her very bones. She felt colder than she ever had in her life and that shouldn't have been possible. Vampires could feel the different temperatures but it shouldn't have affected her like it was.

Klaus was speaking to her, saying words that she vaguely heard. It was his tone that was helping the most, calm and gentle, reminding her of when they had been in the high school hallway together. It had been meant to soothe her then, to reassure, just like it was now. She couldn't help but be grateful for that. Part of her still didn't want to be anywhere near him, not after what he had done, not after his dark promises about what would happen to Tyler, what had already happened to Jeremy, what he saw as her apparent future.

But she didn't want to be alone and she knew the words of whoever had been inside of her head had been for her to tell him and Kol. She just needed to get control of her body and emotions so she could tell him. Maybe he would know how whoever it was could get into her head like that and control her in that way.

Or maybe it had been him. Maybe Klaus had been screwing with her? She didn't think that was the case because she was so sure she'd opened her eyes and couldn't move, seeing him there, trying to talk to her. But maybe that had all been part of the manipulation?

"Did you do that?" she asked, glancing at him. Except his worried expression that shifted to annoyance at her question pretty much answered that.

Caroline looked away, running her hands through her hair as she tried to get her body to calm down. "I don't know what that was." All she knew was that she didn't like it. Didn't ever want to experience it again.

"I couldn't get in your head," Klaus murmured, and she looked at him again. "I tried when I smelled your rising fear, when I came in and saw you thrashing about on the bed, clearly in trouble. But something was blocking me from doing so."

Caroline knew they were able to manipulate dreams. It must have been an easy task usually for one as old as him. She'd never tried it, never had a reason to, but she'd known Katherine had done it to Stefan before. "You were calling my name?" she asked, realizing that it was his voice she had heard while the darkness had tried to consume her.

"Then it seems I was closer to your mind than I had previously thought." Klaus nodded, closely watching her but she couldn't get a good read on his expression. "You're shaking. You need to feed."

She shook her head, wiping hair from her face. "I'm okay." There were only like two bags left and she didn't want to run out of them. Who knew what he'd done to get her them. God, she hoped no one had died.

"Aside from not having a werewolf bite festering on your shoulder, love, you look about as pale and worn out as you did that night," Klaus assessed, pushing up off of the bed. "I'd be happy to offer up some of my own since we both know you won't let me take you to get something more fresh. Or you can have one of the bags in the fridge."

The bastard even rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, offering up his wrist.

It was so hard to decline that offer, but she forced back her internal reaction, felt her fangs poking out of her gums, desperately wanting release. She knew he had to have seen something he liked in the way she reacted though because he smiled. Though not a taunting one that she'd seen quite often. More one that was proud of some unknown accomplishment. It kind of reminded her of when she'd shared drinks with him at the bar, being the little distraction all over again.

There would be no more of that, ever again. Hadn't exactly worked out in any of their favors. Or at least that's how it seemed to her. Even if she had kept on walking away with her life.

"I'll have a bag," Caroline muttered and pushed herself up as well, moving around him to get to the main area of the suite.

"What happened, Caroline?" Klaus asked, following after her and she stiffened at the question for a moment, before taking out a bag and sitting down on one of the seats.

"There was just darkness. Like it was trying to take me over." She tore into the bag, taking deep, long sips of the blood and letting it soothe her frazzled state. "It was awful."

"Take you over? How so?" His voice was urgent, demanding an answer and Caroline struggled for the words to describe it, to explain what had happened.

"I don't know," she murmured, trying to push away the reminders of how horrible she'd felt.

"It's important that you describe it," Klaus told her, and she didn't like how insistent he sounded, didn't like how it sounded like an order to her.

"I don't know," she snapped at him, glaring over at him, hating how grouchy she sounded. "I can't make the words form, okay? Like I'm trying and nothing is coming out. It just sucked. It was like all the happiness was gone and the darkness was trying to swallow me whole. Okay? _Happy?_"

"Oh yes, I'm ecstatic that you've had someone in your mind. Someone powerful enough to keep me out of it for a time. Someone trying to twist it in a fashion that you can't adequately describe," Klaus bit out, glaring right back at her. It wasn't murderous, more annoyed than anything, and she couldn't really blame him for it when he put it like that, but she didn't care for his attitude.

Wasn't _she_ the one who'd just gone through a traumatic experience? _Hello_! He did not get to be the annoyed one at the moment. "I'm just jumping for joy over it," she countered, and finished off the blood bag.

"You two bloody well need to just to do that darling little dance beneath the sheets and shut up so I can get some goddamn sleep," Kol shouted at them from the doorway to the bedroom he'd taken. "Or proceed to do so on the chairs there. I'm sure this room has seen worse."

Caroline threw the empty bag in his direction and stalked back to her bedroom, Klaus on her heel. "You're not telling me everything," he started, and she hated that he knew that, that he could read her that well. "What else is there, Caroline?"

"They want you to stop what you're doing," Caroline muttered, wringing her hands together as she tried to stop shaking again. She couldn't look at him, remembering the rest of it. "They said I'd become a doll."

God, she didn't want to be a doll. Didn't want to live her undead years trapped in her own mind, seeing the world from her small peripheral but never being able to truly experience it again. "What exactly did the voice say, Caroline?" Klaus asked, a gentleness to his tone now. His hand was on her arm, rubbing it gently and she stared down at it for a second as she tried to remember what all had been said.

"They didn't use names but I just know it was in reference to you and Kol. And if you keep it what you're doing—which I'm gonna guess is this whole Silas thing—they'll strip me of my mind and I'll become a pretty doll for you to cart around." Caroline pushed away from him, not wanting the comfort anymore. "Which is _not _allowed to happen. So don't get any ideas."

"Sweetheart, the plans I have for you don't quite translate if you're nothing more than a decoration," Klaus pointed out, and Caroline crossed her arms, not liking the way his gaze lingered on her chest. The tank top she'd decided to sleep in leaving little to the imagination. "Seems there are witches involved. Unsurprising really. They're always caught up in business they shouldn't be."

Caroline didn't think it was Bonnie though. Her friend wouldn't do that to her. She was certain of that, but she remembered what Zelda had told her about people wanting sacrifices to obtain more power. About the witch who had suddenly gotten more power than she'd ever had back in the forties, about the cult needing to rise again. Maybe it was one of them?

"We'll need to get you a protection amulet for when you sleep. Which I'm afraid you won't be able to do until we obtain one," Klaus continued, and he looked off, considering who would be best suited to contact for one.

"So whoever it was can't get in my head unless I sleep?" Because she'd just go on an all caffeine and blood diet if she needed to. Easy peasy. Not that she needed much sleep anyway.

"It's not impossible to do so if you're awake, but it'll take much more effort on their part. A little too draining and they'd be unable to take you over completely at that point. Not unless they have enough backing behind their little spell," Klaus mused, and Caroline didn't find any of that to be very comforting.

"Can't we ask Zelda for one?" Caroline suggested. The witch seemed powerful enough to create something like that.

"If you want something lackluster that might not work correctly," Klaus replied, and she really hated the amused smirk he had on when she glowered. "But I happen to know a witch a little further up the bayou that's got a talent for such things. She may need a little persuading."

"I feel like your definition of persuading is threatening to murder her loved ones," Caroline muttered, sighing loudly when he shrugged.

"It gets the job done," he replied, and she hated how it did seem to work out in his favor most of the time.

"Not always," she groused, not sure why she was arguing with him. After all, he was trying to help her out. Though she wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for him in the first place. "How did they even know about me?" Not that there was even anything to _know_ about her in relation to him.

"I'd wager that one of your friends talked to people they shouldn't have," Klaus murmured, and Caroline looked over at him then. "Or it could always have been the professor .He would have seen the two of us at the pageant. Could have revealed that little tidbit to someone else."

"Nothing even happened at the pageant," she snapped, hugging herself tighter. But she knew that was a lie. Anyone who didn't know them well, and probably even those who did, would've seen them laughing together, enjoying one another's company. Who knew what the weird professor would've taken from that.

"I thought we got along quite well," Klaus told her, reaching out and tracing a finger up her arm. "A little wit, quite a lot of laughter. You couldn't fake how much you enjoyed it."

"Are you sure? I seem to be pretty good at faking enjoyment around you," she lashed out, not wanting what he said to be true. As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. Caroline knew she was on such a precarious slope with him and his brother; she had no idea what would be the last straw for her in regards to Klaus' temper. She couldn't back down though and that might be her downfall.

The caress of his finger turned to him gripping her arm painfully tight. "Do you think I can't tell when you're being used against me?" he asked, leaning uncomfortably close to her. "You have tells, sweetheart."

"You didn't seem to realize it when you followed me out of the grill." She really needed to learn when to stop talking, when to cease antagonizing the beast.

"A mistake I haven't made since," Klaus told her, eyes narrowed dangerously before he released her and took a step back. She held still when he reached out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Tell me, Caroline. Did you keep the drawing?"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," she said, purposefully pushing the piece of hair back to where it had been.

His smirk at her answer only infuriated her. "I threw it away," she lied, not wanting him to think he'd won anything. He only seemed amused by her answer and she hated him for that. Her finely tuned control was slipping because of the nightmarish experience and that coupled with how she could run off at the mouth was a recipe for disaster. "Just because I kept your _stupid drawing _because I thought I looked good in it doesn't mean a damn thing. So _stop_ trying to read things into it."

She knew she should end it there, her brain was screaming at her to shut her mouth, but Caroline couldn't let it stop there. "You _killed_ Jeremy. You ran Tyler out of town. You _killed his mom._ You killed Jenna and so many freaking others. There is _nothing_ between us. There will _never _be anything between us. No matter how many little drawings you do, or stories you tell me, or any of it. Because every time you do one thing that makes me think you're not as reprehensible as everyone else thinks you go and screw it up by showing me that you are horrible."

"And yet I'm the one who is going to be protecting you from becoming the doll you're terrified you'll be turned into," Klaus pointed out, and she wanted to scream.

"I'm only under that threat _because of you_," she shouted at him, not caring if Kol was listening. She didn't care if the entire population of New Orleans was listening. "Because you've got this ridiculous obsession with me."

"If it was obsession, Caroline, I would have compelled, bed and killed you months ago," Klaus told her and she shivered at that, taking a step away from him. "And yet I never have even attempted compulsion on you. Not after your initial betrayal outside the grill—"

"I was helping my friends," she bit out, unwilling to back down on that point. "Just like you help yourself and your family. They're _my_ family and I'll do whatever I have to in order to protect them."

"I'm aware," Klaus replied, and she expected coldness, not the gleam of admiration in his expression. She didn't like that at all. Didn't like the appreciativeness of his gaze, this time not at all sexual as he regarded her. "If you were simply an obsession, I wouldn't have lifted a finger to do what Kol asked. I'd have let the Council get you. Would never have given up one of my hybrids to secure that date with you."

"You did that to make it so Elena would stop going insane," she muttered, trying to ignore the pointed look he gave her. She couldn't stomach the rest of it. The thought he'd probably killed _Jeremy_ to protect her was twisted and it made her head hurt. At least she would be getting some kind of protection from whoever had gone into her head. Maybe after she got that she could figure out how to get the hell away from Klaus and back to Mystic Falls. Explain all she had picked up about Silas and figure out how to help her friends after all that had happened.

"Regardless of what you believe my motives to be, I do want you to be protected sooner rather than later. So get dressed and I'll inform Kol where we're going while he waits for our sister and Ripper to arrive," Klaus told her, already heading toward the door.

"Wait," Caroline called, nearly stumbling as she stepped forward. "Stefan's coming?"

She watched him stiffen at her hopefulness, saw the tension in his shoulders, the clenching of a fist at his side, but he simply stopped at the door. "I'm sure you'll see him when we return. Unless Kol has disposed of him. You have fifteen minutes, Caroline."

Caroline watched the door close and sank down onto the bed. If Stefan was coming that meant she couldn't just try and sneak off once she got whatever protection Klaus' witch would be giving her. There was no way she was leaving her friend with the Originals. Especially not a pissed off Klaus who'd she had escaped from. Maybe Stefan would have answers and she needed to protect Steven. When the hell had this become her life?

Closing her eyes she counted to ten, mentally centering herself before she pushed back off of the bed. She'd wallow later. She needed to get dressed, keep listening, and figure out an exit strategy that would keep her friends alive and not allow Silas to rise. If she could juggle school, vampirism, Miss Mystic Falls duties, cheerleading, and an obsessive Hybrid all at once then this should be a piece of cake.

* * *

There was something to be said about anonymity, moving through the crowded streets of Portland where no one knew his name, no one knew his face. He had traveled a bit with his family for vacations, but never to Oregon. His mother had preferred to go somewhere sunny, with beaches and cocktails served poolside. His father had enjoyed skiing sometimes, but they had always gone to Aspen for that. There was nothing in his past life that could connect Tyler Lockwood to this city and he figured that was why he came there.

He had no idea what he was doing. He'd gotten money out before leaving, filled a backpack with clothes, cash from the safe and a few other odds and ends he could pawn off if he really needed to. There was no point to credit cards; he didn't want to need an ID after getting off the plane he'd taken to cross the country and then hopping buses to get to the city he'd eventually chosen. That would make it too easy for Klaus to find him.

And if all else failed there was always compulsion.

Was he supposed to do this forever? Run with his tail between his legs and hope that the immortal Hybrid wouldn't come knocking. Look over his shoulder at every shadow, jump at every bump in the night, waiting for the inevitable. The mere thought of it filled him with rage, a darkness running through his veins that wanted to boil over. He wanted to lash out, to make Klaus pay for everything that he had done. For taking his pack, for killing his mom, for making him leave the woman he loved behind.

Tyler worried about Caroline, even more so after she had told him what would happen if she left with him. There was little doubt in his mind that Klaus would make good on the threat to kill the entire town. He just wondered what the guy was doing now that she was left behind. Did the others realize how deep Klaus' infatuation with her seemed to go? Would they keep using her to keep Klaus away from whatever they were doing, forcing her to interact with the maniac and giving him more reason to become fixated on her? Just like he had.

He sank down onto the bed of the cheap motel, the blanket itchy beneath his fingers. He could see the water stains on the ceiling, heard the constant drip of the leaky sink in the bathroom. Two doors down the occupants were having a fight. Even further down someone was watching porn on the television. Tyler shut his eyes, trying to quiet the world, to clear his head of everything that had happened.

"It wasn't your fault, Tyler."

Tyler froze at the sound of his uncle's voice, clenching his eyes shut tighter. Was he going insane? Was this what insanity was? Maybe it was a trick of his mind. He was exhausted.

"You were trying to protect your pack. You never knew he would come after your mother when you were betrayed."

Tyler peered out of one eye, clenching it closed again after he spotted his uncle Mason standing at the foot of the bed. He took a deep breath, pressing his hands to his eyes as he tried again to clear his head, to force away what was happening.

"Open your eyes, Tyler."

That wasn't his uncle's voice. That was Jules. The wolf who had died as part of Klaus' sacrifice, the one who had taken Tyler in and helped him learn more about being a werewolf, helped him deal with the pain of his transformation.. He had to be going insane. There was no other explanation. He did as told though because better to be facing the insanity head on. Maybe then he could force it away.

But there they stood, Jules and his uncle, one standing at his feet and the other walking around the motel room. "I can honestly say that I never thought I'd see you staying in a place like this," Jules mused as she walked around the room.

"Am I losing my mind?" Tyler wondered out loud, glancing over at Mason who laughed at that.

"Not quite," Mason told him. "Veil to the Other Side isn't as strong as it used to be. We have a powerful friend making this possible so we can have a little chat."

Tyler stared blankly at him, unsure what he was referring to. He might have heard those words at some point, but he hadn't really bothered to understand them. Maybe it was something Caroline had said? Or Bonnie? He didn't know.

"Supernaturals go the Other Side when they die," Mason explained, and Jules nodded in agreement. "Right now it isn't as strong as it was and we're going to use that to our advantage. Make those who killed us suffer."

"What about my mom?" Tyler asked looking between the two of them, wondering if he'd be able to see her as well.

"She wasn't a supernatural," Jules replied, offering a small, sympathetic smile. No. Carol Lockwood hadn't been supernatural and Tyler supposed that meant he really would never see her again. Not if what they said was true. He'd go to some Other Side when he died. Somewhere she wasn't. And that was like another knife in the gut. "You want to avenge her death?"

"More than anything." His mother's. His packs. The loss of his future. He wanted to avenge it all.

"Good," Mason replied, affable smile on his face as he rose. "Then you need to listen carefully and do exactly as we say."

"Klaus will get everything he deserves?" Tyler asked, needing confirmation on that. Klaus hadn't been the one who had killed Mason, but he had killed Jules as part of the sacrifice and Tyler could see the thirst for revenge in her eyes.

"And then some," Jules promised, almost gleeful, which really should have pulled up a red flag, but Tyler had a singular focus now and anything that could bring down Klaus Mikaelson sounded like a good idea to him in that moment.

The rage that had been festering in his veins only seemed to expand, burrowing deeper into his soul, and wrapping tightly around him. Maybe if he had been thinking clearly he would have noticed both Jules and his uncle exchanging looks, the sinister smiles on their faces, but Tyler was too focused on the revenge fantasies going on inside of his own mind. Of seeing Klaus's face contorted in pain, in realizing that he'd been beaten and would never see the light of day again. It was a good dream, it was one he'd do anything to see become reality.

"Tell me what I need to do."

* * *

Rebekah rapped twice on the door, barely giving the Salvatore beside her a glance as she waited for it to open. Maybe she hadn't gone about getting his services in the best way possible—what with snapping his neck and kidnapping him from the scene—but she had known he knew about the cure and she wasn't about to talk to Klaus about it. Not at that point. Though what she had learned once Stefan had regained consciousness had confused her and her conversation with Kol over the phone hadn't done much to clarify anything. Hopefully talking with him in person would rectify that.

Plus it'd be nice to shove something sharp and pointy into Klaus' chest cavity. Even if it wouldn't do anything permanent to him.

"Why aren't we in the villa?" she demanded as soon as Kol opened the door, huffing at his smile. He always seemed like there was some sort of joke that only he found funny going on inside of his head when he looked like that. It was highly annoying. "This hotel is nice and all, but I quite liked our rooms at that place."

"You'd have to ask Nik, sister," Kol replied, stepping aside so the two of them could enter.

Rebekah glanced around the room. "And where is my backstabbing brother?" The least he could do is show himself so she could take out her wrath on him.

"Off to find a witch to protect Caroline," Kol hummed, closing the door behind him and bypassing her to get to the liquor cabinet. "Scotch?"

Rebekah wondered if this was what 'seeing red' was like. She had come across states, via plane, after much cajoling on her part with the younger Salvatore, after having been daggered for who even knew how many times, and her brother was out gallivanting with the annoying little cheerleader? How typical of him.

"What's wrong with Caroline?" Stefan asked, and she despised the concern in his voice for the other girl. Couldn't take the worry in his features and Rebekah picked up the nearest object, an antique lamp, and threw it at the wall.

Kol sat down on the couch, that annoying smile on his face as he motioned for Stefan to sit down as well. "Rebekah doesn't like being second to anyone. Especially other girls."

Rebekah rounded on him, throwing some sort of crystal decoration at him. Kol easily caught it and put it down. "Not that there have ever really been any like that when it comes to dear old Nik. Must be rather upsetting to not be his number one any longer," Kol continued, and she wanted to strangle him but knew that would be useless.

"What's going on with Caroline?" Stefan tried again, and Rebekah rolled her eyes and headed to the liquor cabinet to retrieve something to drink.

"Nasty dream business. Someone trying to use her to stop him from doing what we need to do." Kol shrugged, scooting over for Rebekah to sit beside him once she had her bottle. "Seems there are witches dabbling in magic that they shouldn't."

"Dark magic? We've seen that before. Easy enough for us to handle with the right counters" Rebekah mused. They'd seen plenty of witches experiment with that in their travels. Not to mention it had been how their own mother had been able to turn them into the creatures that they currently were. Besides, they had always had their own witches in their employment and while she and Kol may have been daggered for many years, Elijah and Klaus had been out and about. She highly doubted that they didn't have powerful witches at their disposal.

"Expression," Kol replied, features darkening and that little smile that always seemed to be on his face replaced by a scowl. Rebekah frowned; she had no idea what that even meant, hadn't ever heard of it and considering she'd been her mother's apprentice back when she'd been human that worried her a bit. "Something to share with the class, Stefan?"

Rebekah glanced over at the Salvatore who had recognition in his gaze at the word. Interesting that he had heard of it before she did. That Kol knew of it too. "Bonnie is learning that. Was learning that from the Professor," Stefan answered. "Before your brother murdered him. I know he didn't pull the trigger on Jeremy or Matt by I'd bet my life that he orchestrated their deaths as well."

"What?" Rebekah nearly dropped the bottle of bourbon. She had to have heard that wrong. She didn't know who the professor was, nor did she particularly care about his death, or Jeremy's, but _Matt_? Why in the world would Klaus have gotten Matt killed? "What the hell did I miss?"

Kol motioned for Stefan to explain and leaned back against the couch. "I'll let the Salvatore take the floor with this one."

"I don't know why he killed any of them. We can't get to the cure without them and that was his entire goal until a few nights ago." Or at least that was what Stefan had assumed. It's what had made the most logical sense. It's what Klaus had told him but then the Hybrid had gone and killed the two people who could lead them to the cure. "I don't know why that changed."

"He realized the error of his ways. We're not getting the cure anymore," Kol replied with a shrug.

"But I want it," Rebekah started, not caring that she was whining. She rose, shaking her head at him. "I don't want to live forever anymore. I don't want to watch the world rise and fall, forever changing and never able to truly be part of it any longer." She raised her chin, looking defiantly down at her brother. "I don't care what you two say. I am going to get it. "

"It'll bring about hell on Earth and our dear old father and mother back to life, but certainly, Rebekah. We'll just disregard that so that you can get your latest whimsy," Kol replied, waving his hand at her.

She hated his tone, hated the way he talked to her as though she was still a child in that moment. They all did that. No matter how many years had passed for them she would always be their younger sister. They would never see her as a grown woman. Not even when she had decapitated whole towns and feasted on their blood. She was always and forever the baby. It was revolting.

She forced herself not to scream at that though, not wanting to give Kol further ammunition to use against her and replayed his words in her mind instead. "Why don't you explain exactly what you mean instead of being an insufferable git about it," she barked, moving to sit down by Stefan instead.

It was hard not to note the way the other vampire flinched at the close contact. No doubt he'd expected some of her temper to be taken out on him. She didn't know why that annoyed her so much. Hadn't he played his little part in helping Klaus dagger her the last time? It should be her that shied away from him, not the other way around.

"The cure is with Silas," Kol started, and Rebekah sighed, clearly exasperated.

"Not that old wives' tale again, Kol," she muttered. Hadn't he gone on enough about that superstition two hundred years ago?

"What does this have to do with Silas?" Stefan interrupted. "Shane said something about him to the others. But he was a tale that went along with the stone."

"Qestiyah's tombstone," Kol replied before glaring at Rebekah. "It's not a tale. It's the truth and if any of you bothered to listen to the witches and their fears of what his rise would mean we wouldn't be in this predicament right now. With expression being taught to Bennett witches, others getting into the pretty little blonde things head, and Silas already waking. Jeremy had to die. He had the beginnings of the mark that lead to where Silas is resting. As for Matt, not sure exactly why Nik took him out too. Collateral damage." He shrugged, clearly not caring that the other boy had died. "Didn't you want me to kill him only months ago, Bekah? Or did you keep pining after the lowly human?"

She reciprocated his glare. "Shane knew about it all and was purposefully trying to bring Silas back so Klaus needed to kill him too," Kol continued. "And now we need to stop his rise or we're pretty much all screwed."

"Screwed how?" Stefan asked, sounding tired and Rebekah glanced over at him.

"Silas rises and destroys the Other Side. All those who died and are there return here—such as our mother and father. Alaric. Countless others we've wronged in one way or another." Kol leaned forward. "I know what you're thinking. Not so bad. Just kill the ones we don't want and enjoy the resurrection of those we've missed. Except with no Other Side there's nowhere for the dead to go so they remain."

Rebekah blinked, the possibilities already running through her head and none of them were good. Having Mikael and Esther back, having to go on the run again. She didn't want that to ever happen. They finally didn't need to run anymore, didn't need to fear their father appearing and destroying everything in his constant quest. Rebekah didn't want to go back to how things had been.

"Ever wronged any wolves, Stefan?" Kol continued, swirling around his own glass of scotch. "How would you like them to come back and continuously chase you, to bite you, to endure that death over and over? We all know there's only so much blood my brother freely gives away to heal that kind of thing."

"You could have simply told us all of this instead of having Jeremy killed," Stefan argued. "Instead of Matt being collateral damage."

Kol shrugged. "I didn't really care how my brother stopped you lot as long as he did. Time was a bit of the essence since I had Caroline. I doubt he wanted to bother with a little chit chat."

Stefan's stony silence was all the reply Kol got for that.

"So what now?" Rebekah asked, placing her bottle down on the side table. "If they're dead then why are you two still here? Why is…" She paused, her mouth twisting in annoyance. "_Caroline." _She said the name with such disgust that Kol's mouth twitched in amusement. "In some apparent danger that Nik has gone with her elsewhere for protection?"

"Because Silas is already rising and now we need to stop that from happening." Kol arched his brows. "I'd rather not leave it all to chance. Especially when powers are already working to try and interfere with us doing so. Means we're on the right path."

He rose. "But I'm famished. So why don't we go and get a little snack while we wait for Nik and his little treat to return. I'll fill you in on the rest while we're out. Let me just grab my jacket."

He was already in the bedroom before either of them could respond. "I'm sorry about Matt," Rebekah murmured, even though she couldn't quite glance over at Stefan when she spoke.

"I almost believe you mean that," Stefan replied, glancing over at the hotel phone. "I need to call Damon."

"You could always simply leave and return to Mystic Falls now. I won't stop you," Rebekah informed him, though she knew he wouldn't.

"I'm not leaving without Caroline."

Of course he wasn't. She knew he'd stay behind for the girl. It was irritating how quickly Stefan and Klaus seemed to jump in order to help her. She didn't understand the appeal at all.

"Tell Kol I'm freshening up." Rebekah rose and headed off to the nearest bedroom before he could reply. Not that she expected Stefan to.

So they needed to stop Silas' rise. She could understand that, would help her family do that. But not once did Kol explain why she couldn't get the cure as well while they did all of that. So she would keep her eye out for an opportunity to make her dreams come true, in spite of her brothers and their feelings on the matter.

* * *

Klaus realized that Caroline didn't want to be in the car with him, most likely didn't want to be within a few feet of him at that point, but her constant huffing, reaching over and changing the station every five minutes, or the clacking of her fingers against the window was beyond grating. He'd murdered for far less, daggered a sibling for as much, and was seriously contemplating how much of a setback it would be if he snapped her neck for the remainder of the ride.

She reached over to change the station again and he grabbed hold of her wrist, not to cause pain, only to stop her movement. "Caroline, if you do that one more time I will rip the bloody stereo from the car and toss it out the window," he told her and then released her.

Her only reply was a snort and no doubt a rolling of the eyes as she scooted over in the seat, further away from him and crossed her arms again. "Why couldn't we have just vamp sped to wherever we're going?" she groused, resting her head back on the seat and staring out the window.

"I had assumed that you would enjoy the scenery," Klaus mused. Clearly he had been wrong in that assessment. Though he had seen her gaze travel out the window a number of times, curiosity peeking in her features before she schooled them into calculated scowls.

"Well, you know what they say about when you _assume_ something," she muttered, before glancing over at him. He arched a brow at her, wondering what she was going on about. He might not have been daggered like his siblings all of those years but certain human peculiarities he didn't bother to learn. The little pop culture references would be dead in a few decades anyway. "When you assume you make an ass out of you _and_ me? Seriously? You didn't live in a box."

"You'll come to find that you have less interest in the meanderings of human pop culture as the years pass by, Caroline," Klaus started as he steered the car toward the next exit. "The importance of who won some trivial reality show will become a speck of dust in your long lifetime. The sayings that are popular in this day and age will lead into new ones and so on until those peculiar intricacies of fifty years ago no longer matter."

"Way to sell eternity," Caroline replied, staring out the window again. He could see her uneasy expression in her reflection.

"You're thinking as a human still. You'll understand it better once you have a few decades under your belt," he told her as he looked out for the building he hadn't visited in some years.

"Maybe I want to hold onto thinking that way," she muttered and he arched a brow at that.

"You're not human, Caroline," Klaus pointed out as he pulled up the driveway to the small building off to the right. "And you have no intention of becoming so again."

"You don't know that," she snapped, unbuckling her seatbelt and moving to open the door, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"So you'd take it then? If it was offered up, if we could somehow retrieve the coveted cure along with keeping Silas from rising?" Klaus asked, watching her expression carefully. He didn't believe she would. As much as he watched her hold onto the strappings of her past, he had also seen how she enjoyed what she had become, even if she tried to control every aspect of it, not quite allowing herself to see exactly all that she could accomplish if she allowed herself to truly experience vampirism.

"That's none of your business," Caroline spat, trying to wrench her arm away from him. Her narrowed eyes at his knowing smile only added credence to his own suspicions about which way she would choose if offered the cure.

"At topic of conversation to continue at another point," Klaus suggested, releasing his hold and nodding toward the house. "We may not get the warmest of welcomes so stay behind me when we enter."

Caroline snorted at that. "I could just stay in the car until you deem it 'safe'." She even air quoted around the word. How delightful.

"I'd rather have you in my sights," Klaus informed her, motioning for her to get out of the car as well.

He ignored her mutterings, though he was unable to stop the small smile from spreading on his face at her little obscenities. He enjoyed when she was riled up, when that anger radiated on her face, the narrowing of her eyes, the tension that seemed to percolate through her body. Caroline Forbes was no wilting flower and he enjoyed that about her. She said what was on her mind and even when what she said annoyed him to no end, he did appreciate that. Klaus didn't think he would ever become tired of that about the young vampire in front of him.

"Are we doing this or what? Because I want to get back to Stefan." Caroline crossed her arms, nodding toward the building behind them.

Klaus pressed his lips together at the mention of Ripper. Even if he knew there was no reason to be jealous of their relationship, that it was strictly friendship between the two vampires, he couldn't help himself. They turned to one another for comfort, for support, and he wanted that. From both of them really. One who had been someone he could call friend and the other…he couldn't quite explain what Caroline was yet, couldn't quite accept the words, but Klaus did know that he wanted them both in his life. More so her than Stefan if it came down to a choice, though he'd prefer both. Stefan had quite a bit to make up for anyway with his ample betrayals over the last few months.

"Remember what I said," Klaus reminded, motioning for her to get behind him as he started toward the doorway.

It was a public business, the sign above the door offering natural remedies for various ailments. Rainbows danced on the ground, reflecting off the abundance of crystal that hung from porch, swaying gently in the breeze. He knew the witch inside would have sensed their presence as soon as they arrived on the driveway, but he'd kept an eye out for an escape and hadn't seen one.

Magdalene had dealt with him before though and knew the consequences of trying to run all too intimately. Klaus doubted the witch would make the same mistake twice. The stake came flying at him as soon as he pushed open the door, but Klaus quickly caught it, not even wincing at the fact it was soaked with vervain. He pushed Caroline away from the door, knowing what would come next, and not wanting her in the crossfire. Her annoyed exclamation was cut short as the bucket of vervain fell down in the space he had been seconds before.

Klaus knew she was fine outside, away from the traps the witch had set for any vampires, and he utilized his speed to head forward, tearing the door to the back off its hinges with one easy swoop. Magdalene had a gun cocked in his direction. No doubt filled with wooden bullets.

"Call next time," she muttered as she lowered the weapon. "Then I won't go through the whole horse and pony show when I sense a vampire in the area."

"I think you'll find I'm much more than that now," Klaus informed her, unable to keep the pride out of his voice at that fact.

"I heard," Magdalene replied, setting the weapon down and moving to the wall to flick a few switches that cut off the traps she had implemented. "You told me my service to you was completed the last time."

"Circumstances and all," Klaus shrugged, not really caring about what he had told the witch. "I need a protection amulet and you do happen to be the best witch available for that sort of thing."

"Why not ask Greta?" Magdalene inquired as she started back into the shop, shaking her head at the destroyed door. "Isn't she your go-to witch these days?"

"Her services are no longer available," Klaus replied, clasping his hands behind his back as he followed her out. From the way the witch cringed at his words he had a feeling she had an idea of what the younger witch's fate had been. "Help me with this and I'll walk away, leaving you with your life. I consider that to be a rather decent deal." He leaned against the counter, smirking as he watched her.

"Protection amulet against what?" Magdalene asked, pulling a grimoire off the shelf before looking back at him.

"Regrettably I'm not entirely sure, but I'd wager against the newly forming cult of Silas." Klaus noted the clenching of the witch's hands on the book, the tension that seemed to go right through her before she looked at him. "Have your attention now, don't I?"

"I'd have thought your physiology—being an Original and a hybrid—would have garnered you some special favors in regards to protection against that," Magdalene mused, and Klaus didn't like the slight smile she had. He didn't quite understand why she'd think being an Original would benefit him at all in regards to Silas either. He'd need to get that out of her at some point.

"It's not for me," Klaus replied, picking up one of the skulls on display.

"Who could you possibly want to protect?" Magdalene asked, and he didn't answer, not particularly liking that question.

"Am I allowed in yet or what?" Caroline shouted from outside, standing in the doorway and looking exasperated.

Klaus didn't like the curious look that passed over the witch's face as she looked over at Caroline and then back at him. Perhaps he would kill her after her services were completed. Wouldn't do to have someone else think they'd found a vulnerability to use against him.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Thank you all for reading and commenting, favoriting, following. I hope this one is as enjoyable as the others have been. I don't really want to say too much because I think I'll give things away. **

**A special thanks to livingdeadblondequeen who betas this insanity. Have a great weekend!**

* * *

_**"**__but he who dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose."_

_-_Anne Brontë

* * *

Caroline crossed her arms, cocking her head as she looked at Klaus, her expression clearly unimpressed with the fact that she was still outside. Obviously he and the witch were getting along just fine so shouldn't she be allowed inside now? What the hell was the hold up? She saw the curiosity in the woman's gaze though as it passed between her and Klaus. She noted the hardness to his eyes even as the rest of his expression remained neutral.

That was definitely not good.

"If you're the one who needs protection then I will need you in here," the witch told her, motioning for her to come in and Caroline entered, trying not to spare a glance at the Hybrid.

She was going to ignore that hardness at the witch's curiosity about her, that tension she could see in his clenched fist even as he leaned casually against the counter, urging the witch to continue what she had been doing. "What precisely is the cult of Silas doing to you?" Magdalene asked, looking Caroline over.

She didn't really like the woman's gaze, the assessment passing through her glance as she was looked over. It wasn't like in high school when the guys checked her out in the hall or on the street when skeevy men decided to look her up and down before realizing who she was and remembering it wasn't a good idea to catcall to the Sheriff's daughter. No, this was like she was being scrutinized under a microscope, every inch of her being looked at to the fullest.

Caroline shifted her stance, locking her gaze with the other woman's and offering up her patented 'don't fuck with me' face. She was on edge enough as it was and didn't want to contemplate whatever the hell the woman was thinking about her. Like she cared what some random bayou witch thought in regards to her. The insecurities that would have dog piled her a year ago had been squashed as soon as the movement was detected. There was only one witch Caroline cared about and she'd like to get this over with so she could figure out a way back to her.

"They're getting into my head while I'm sleeping, trying to take it over and pretty much succeeding. So I'd like that to stop," Caroline finally replied. "They threatened to turn me into a doll-like state." She nearly added the rest, about why they would do that, but Caroline saw Klaus' gaze cut to her in that moment and she stopped talking.

"Why? You're young. Not of any great strength. While usually the younger ones tend to be more volatile the control you exude in your stance already shows that's not how you are. So I don't know why they would be after you," Magdalene mused and Caroline shrugged.

"I guess I won the raffle in 'crazy guy attractor' that day at the carnival. I've been trying to give it back but I seem to attract psychos." Caroline didn't bother to glance over at Klaus. She figured he'd pick on the fact she meant him. And Damon. The wolves that'd kidnapped her to get to Tyler. Even Alaric when he'd lost it. "So if you've got a repellant for that as well I will like buy it in bulk."

"They were able to immobilize her, control her bodily functions so she could open her eyes and see the outside world but made no movement to speak. I'm not entirely certain she was able to hear at that point either," Klaus butted in and Caroline couldn't help but shiver at the reminder of that morning. It had been the most terrifying moment in her life. "They also were able to bar me from entering her dreams."

Magdalene arched a brow at that and Caroline figured the witch's ability to do so must have been a big deal. "The why doesn't factor in at all to what you need to do. You know what they were capable of doing and I need that to not happen again," Klaus continued. "Either you do this in a timely fashion or I enjoy a favorite pastime of mine by leaving you in pieces for your next customer to find."

Klaus had the witch pressed against the wall, holding her up by her throat; feet kicking as she tried to reach the floor, before Caroline could even blink. "Klaus!" she cried out, shaking her head at the display. "How the hell is she supposed to help if you kill her?"

"There are plenty of witches in the world, Caroline. Either dear Maggie here does as I need or I will make good on my promise," Klaus replied, not bothering to look at her. His attention was on the witch who was grasping at his hands, trying to pull them off of her.

"How do I know you won't do that anyway?" Magdalene strained, trying to breathe. She knew he'd snap her neck if she tried the spell that caused pain to erupt in his head. Had a feeling that going after the girl with the same spell would cause the same reaction.

"You don't," Klaus replied, and Caroline picked up one of the books that was on the counter and chucked it at him.

"Stop it!" she screamed, throwing a bottle and candle stick next. "Try freaking asking politely for once. Maybe it'd work better than your constant 'let me prove I'm the alpha male' ways. Which _honestly_ the alpha shouldn't have to prove so damn much if he really was one."

The look Klaus directed at her as he glanced her way had her drop her hand, though she still held onto the next book she had been prepared to throw. "Need I remind you that I am doing this for you?" he started, never letting go of the witch.

"Did I ask you?" Caroline countered, glaring at him. She knew she needed what the witch could offer though. "She can't even help if you kill her. Which blah blah blah, plenty of witches in the world, but we need this done _now_ so like the temper tantrum isn't helping."

The rage that had been in Klaus' gaze seemed to vanish and he dropped the witch, opening his arms as he looked at Caroline, motioning for her to take the lead. "Then by all means, do this your way," he told her, stepping away from Magdalene.

Caroline watched him, noting the slight amusement to his features as he sat down and waved for her to continue. The witch was rubbing her throat, trying to soothe the pain that was still emanating from the area, and Caroline turned her attention back to her. She didn't like doing that. Something about how Klaus had stepped back had her on edge. She didn't like the calmness he was exuding, knowing it was all a lie. He was like a viper waiting for the perfect time to attack and she was on edge because of it.

"I really could use your help," Caroline told the woman. "If I'm locked up like some porcelain doll then I can't really help stop Silas. I just want to get back home, to find my friends and stop the chaos from erupting that will if he's allowed to roam the world or whatever. It can even be something temporary. My friend Bonnie can probably whip something up later if needed."

Magdalene looked down at Caroline's hand where she wore her ring, grasping it with her own and holding it up into the light. "Bennett magic," she muttered before dropping the hand and moving to collect some materials. "You're friends with a Bennett witch?"

Caroline nodded, not sure why that was relevant. Though it did seem like the Bennett magic line was pretty damn special so it wasn't too surprising that other witches might know about it. "So can you help?"

"I don't know. I've never seen anything quite like what you described before but I can try," Magdalene told her, offering a small smile that Caroline reciprocated. "I don't think an amulet would be good though. Too easily ripped off or forgotten. But a ring. Now that I could manage and since you already have one that you never go without, it shouldn't be too difficult to remember to continuously wear another."

Caroline nodded. "I am all about my accessories," she murmured, mentally preparing herself to wear another probably hideous ring. Hopefully this one wouldn't be forever.

"Give me a few minutes," Magdalene replied and turned to gather some items from the shelves of the shop.

Caroline watched her for a few moments before turning to look at Klaus. "_See_," she started, trying not to sound too smug. "No threats needed. Just politeness. It's amazing how far that can get you."

Klaus' smile wasn't at all sweet, reminding her of what she'd heard the youth counselors at church telling her the devil looked like when he smiled at someone. She hadn't been to church in ages but for some reason she couldn't seem to get out what she remembered one of them telling her about how the devil didn't look like a monster. After all he had been an angel at one point. His good looks didn't change the fact that he was evil.

Not that she thought Klaus was evil.

She didn't really want to think about what she thought he was right then and there with him staring at her in that way he always did. Caroline hated that look, the one that seemed to pierce into her very soul, like he saw parts of her that she didn't want anyone else to see. The parts that she tried to hide away. Most of all she hated that he liked them.

"You're very short sighted, Caroline," Klaus told her, motioning for her to sit down across from him.

She didn't move for a moment, not wanting to give him the satisfaction to acquiescing but she didn't really see the harm in sitting down. It looked like Magdalene would be a little while. "I'd wager it's because you're so young. You've yet to truly see any real passage of time," Klaus continued and she had a feeling she wasn't going to like where this conversation was going. "One thousand years and humankind hasn't changed a bit. Technology has improved some but the basic human emotions are the same. What drives each of them is the same as it was back when I was born."

He leaned forward and she realized just how close they were sitting and tried to shift so she was angled away from him. "Fear surpasses all language barriers. It's a fantastic motivator. You'll learn that with time."

Caroline crossed her arms, shaking her head at him. "Really? Because like I'm sure I've said before it doesn't seem to have gotten you all that much." She knew she should hold her tongue again, but the words just kept coming. Something about Klaus just riled her up to such a degree that she couldn't hold back. Not even if it was for her own benefit. "So you broke a curse. Congrats. But what else is it that you have? Not friends because you don't know how to like interact with people outside of ordering them around. Which is why you lost your hybrids. If you didn't abuse the sire bond then maybe—"

She didn't get to finish the sentence as Klaus slammed his hands onto the arms of his chair. _"Don't._" The hardness to his voice, the anger that she could hear there mixed with something else she couldn't quite give name to—was it pain?—had her swallow.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Caroline flinched back at her own voice and wondered if this was her step too far. Was this what would finally push him over the edge and have him kill her?

Klaus didn't move though, simply stared at her, his gaze unreadable and Caroline shut her mouth then, hoping Magdalene would be finished soon. Not that she was looking forward to driving back to New Orleans with an enraged Hybrid. "All done," the witch informed them and Caroline rose, making sure to give Klaus a wide berth as she headed over to the woman.

"I can make no promises," Magdalene told her, slipping the ring onto her hand. "But it should keep out anyone you do not want inside of your head."

"And if I want them there?" Caroline mused, not really sure who that would even be, but who knew if there would come a time when she would. Better to know the answer to that.

"Then they'll be able to get inside."

The woman didn't say another word, wasn't able to as a picture frame came hurtling through the air, effectively slicing the woman's head off. Caroline let out a scream at that, not having expected it, blood spraying her face. She had no idea how long she stood staring down at the body before Klaus grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the shop.

"Why did you do that? She helped. She freaking helped!" Caroline shouted, trying to get out of his grasp.

"I had no intention of letting her live, Caroline," Klaus replied, shoving her into the car. "Not after what she figured out."

Caroline wiped at her face, trying to get the blood off of it as Klaus started the car. She knew there wasn't any point to running. He'd only get her back and probably snap her neck and she really didn't want to deal with that. "What the hell are you talking about?" What had the witch figured out? What was so important that he had to kill her when she had helped?

"Oh I'm aware you have no idea, sweetheart." Caroline looked over at him and he glanced over at her. His gaze locked with hers and she wanted the hardness back. She wanted to fear him because of his rage, of the notion that she had no idea of what he was capable of some days, but that wasn't what he was showing her. It was that look he'd given her when she had walked into the ball, that one when he had followed her out of the grill and nearly been run over. That one that sent butterflies fluttering around her stomach at the pageant when he'd been annoyingly perfect. She couldn't handle that look. _He_ wasn't supposed to look at her like that.

"Or at least that you're refusing to acknowledge it." Klaus looked away and Caroline didn't respond to him. "I'm quite certain that's the bloody problem."

She wished she had run. A broken neck would've been preferable to the fear of what Klaus' looks he only ever directed at her actually meant. She really should have held out for the repellant.

"And I see I'll be getting the silent treatment for the ride. Do not touch the radio this time," Klaus told her and Caroline pressed her forehead against the window, trying to drown him out, to drown out her own thoughts.

She looked down at the new ring on her hand that she hadn't even had a moment to really inspect before and wiped at it with her shirt, trying to get the blood off. It wasn't all that horrible, really not her own taste but it would do. At least this band was silver instead of gold and there was a black stone set in the middle. She had no idea what kind of rock it was. Caroline looked back toward the shop that they were driving away from and sent out a silent thank you to the witch who had died because of her.

Glancing over at Klaus, she sighed, wondering exactly how many more would die and realized she really didn't want the answer to that. Because that would mean acknowledging things she wasn't ready to accept yet.

* * *

Elena wanted to scream. She wanted to throw things about, to tear at her skin and make herself actually _feel something._ But her mind was at war, part of it trying to acknowledge all that had happened. The fact that she had lost not only her little brother, the last remaining member of her family, but Matt as well. Both of them dead and she would never be able to get them back. She wanted to sob over it, to push her face into the pillow and let out all of the anguish she was feeling over their loss.

She couldn't though.

Every time she tried, every time the thought of what had happened to them came crashing down on her again, her mind went almost blank. A calmness tried to take over, _everything's fine _repeating on a loop in her head. She looked in the mirror and saw the smile on her face and wanted to rip it off, nails biting into her cheeks for a moment before gently pushing an errant strand of hair from her face. Every movement that was meant to unleash her anger, her sadness, was overpowered by another more pliable one, twisting her movements.

She had no control over it and she knew somewhere inside that it was the sire bond. That she was acting this way because of Damon but all of the bad thoughts were quickly replaced, reminding herself that he was only trying to protect her.

It was driving her mad, the constant conflict, and she didn't know how to voice what was happening to her. Not when she was supposed to be fine. When nothing was supposed to be wrong. The words just wouldn't come and he'd hold her and brush her hair, whisper that he was taking care of everything, and she just nodded along with it.

She asked about Stefan and he told her not to worry and so she didn't. Thoughts of Stefan pushed back to reside with Jeremy and Matt, never quite able to push their way to the surface but always there in the cracks that were forming.

She was stepping out of the shower when she heard the doorbell. It was Sheriff Forbes and hopefully that wasn't anything too concerning. Damon and the Sheriff were friendly. Maybe she had come by for a chat?

Except hadn't something happened? A reason for her to be around.

No no. Everything was fine. Nothing was missing in her life. Everything was right where it was supposed to be.

Elena wrapped the towel tighter around her body and moved to start brushing the tangles out of her wet hair. It wasn't her fault that she heard the other two's conversation. Vampire hearing just happened to pick up on it.

Jeremy.

Matt.

Dead.

The panic started rushing back to her, wanting to pull her down and crush her beneath its waves, but the quietness pushed through, calming her again.

Stefan.

It repeated. No reason to worry about him. Even if he was with Rebekah. No big deal at all.

But the Sheriff's next words had no failsafe in her head. Damon hadn't countered anything to do with Caroline. But she heard what the Sheriff said, how her friend was in the Originals' hands and that wasn't good. The very idea of it frightened her. Would they kill her like…

And just like that the fog came back, cascading over her but the cracks were splintering. A mind was such a fragile thing and there was only so much it could take. The constant struggle to bury the pain was undoing her, breaking her apart and no amount of sire bond was going to be able to fix that right then.

Elena fell, her eyes glazing over. She heard Damon and the Sheriff enter the room, heard their cries for her, heard Damon trying to get her attention but everything was coming from so very far away. She couldn't quite hold onto it or make sense of what they were saying.

The smile stayed on her face though. That reminder that everything was okay. There was no need to worry. It was all fine.

She didn't understand what was happening next. How she was outside of her body, staring down at it with Damon and Caroline's mom beside her. One frantically shaking her, trying to get her to move, while the other tried to be a calming presence.

"Am I dead?" Her own voice startled her, not having heard it much in the last few days. Not expecting to be able to even speak from where she was. Not that she even had a clue as to where that was exactly.

"You're not dead."

Elena turned at that, convinced her hearing was playing a trick on her but no, there was Alaric. And beside him were Jenna and Jeremy. She didn't even hesitate, not caring for a second if this was some new whacky scheme because they were right there and she missed them. She was across the room, hugging the three of them tightly and the overwhelming sense that everything was supposed to be fine didn't take over.

"Are you sure I'm not dead?" Because that was the only conceivable way she could think she'd be able to see any of them.

"You're currently hovering between life and death," Jeremy told her as he pulled back. "But don't worry; you'll swing back to life in a few minutes. Your mind is just having you take a timeout for a bit."

"We took the opportunity to see you," Jenna finished, brushing hair off Elena's face.

"Not just for a social call though," Alaric reminded and the other two nodded. "When you're back in control of yourself you need to convince Damon to keep looking for the cure."

"We don't have a way to find it anymore." Elena looked over at Jeremy, still unable to see the mark on his arm, but how was she supposed to find it without the map? "And I don't care about it." She never had. That had been everyone else. Elena wished they had never tried to find that damn thing. Then maybe Jeremy would still be alive. "I don't want it."

"Listen, you little…" The voice was coming out of Jenna's mouth but it wasn't Jenna.

Elena stepped back; staring at the three people she considered family. There was something off about them, something that was not them. She really looked at them again, the safety she had felt a moment ago giving way to a coldness that surrounded her. The three of them disappeared, evaporating into smoke around her and Elena frowned, whirling around as she tried to figure out what was happening.

"I tried to do this the nice way," a voice she had never heard before started, dark and gravelly, that seemed to surround her. She whirled around, never seeing anyone aside from her own body to the side, Damon and Liz kneeling beside it. But the coldness surrounded her, overwhelming her. "But it seems you would rather completely lose your mind to give me what I want. No matter to me, little doppelganger. I'll win in the end."

Elena fell to her knees, pain erupting inside of her head, more painful than anything she had ever felt before. She tried to fight against it, could feel her thoughts being ripped from her, memories twisted and altered before being shoved back in again. Her mind was shattering into a million little pieces and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

Her body beside Damon started convulsing and on some level of awareness Elena could hear him calling her name, trying to help her and she tried to hold onto that, to anchor herself to him, but the pain was too much, what was happening inside of her head she couldn't overpower.

Eventually it stopped and Elena opened her eyes, looking up at the two concerned faces staring down at her. She didn't hesitate, reaching up to snap Damon's neck and pushing Liz, sending the woman flying across the room. Elena didn't stick around to see if she was alright, speeding out of the house, out of Mystic Falls, her mind focused solely on the task she had been provided to do.

The rest of the world be damned.

* * *

It was remarkable how much could be learned about any one person just by watching them for a small period of time. Usually Kol could care less about the Salvatore brother sitting in the booth across from him. He'd heard tales from Rebekah of how the vampire had been once upon a time, had heard mentioning of it from Klaus as well, but he hadn't ever really cared about what either of them had said. Who cared about what the vampire had done when he'd been stuck in a box unable to have his own kind of fun. The stories of the years he'd been out of commission meant little to him except to bring up a reminder of how he hadn't been able to experience any of it.

Though he enjoyed learning more about the culture of the current period. The video games were a riot; the amount of violence in them tickling his fancy, and the phrases that were thrown out so easily between people was fascinating. He quite liked the century he had woken up to and had every intention of enjoying every last bit of it before the world evolved into the next latest phases.

He was finding Stefan to be all sorts of amusing at the moment though. That brooding stare or glare depending on what he and Rebekah were doing. What most intrigued him was Stefan's response to the girl Kol had compelled to slice her wrist open and let her blood spill out into their drinks. That glazed over expression that begged for a taste. It had been a simple compulsion for the girl to not scream and a quick slice of her wrist later and the Bloody Mary was about to truly live up to its name.

"That'll be all for now," Kol informed the girl, pushing a napkin onto her wrist. "You really should be more careful with the silverware."

He didn't bother to watch her stumble off to clean herself up, pushing the drinks to Rebekah and Stefan instead as he picked up his own. "Not quite as good as directly from the vein but it hits the spot," Kol mused, clinking his glass with Rebekah's.

Stefan's lay untouched before him, the vampire not moving an inch toward it. Though was that a little twitch to his eye? Kol wondered exactly how much human blood did it take to turn him back into his more intriguing form. He'd have to ask Nik about that later. "Do you remember this place, sister?"

He motioned around to the club they were in. The building was the same though it wasn't quite like it had been back in the late 1900s. "As I recall, I wasn't allowed in here then," Rebekah replied, looking over at Stefan. "You're going to need to feed."

"I'm fine." Stefan's tone was cold and he didn't spare her a glance, his attention on the crowded dance floor instead.

Rebekah pouted, clearly put out by the harshness. "She's only looking out for you," Kol reminded, unsure whether to be amused by his sister's reaction or break his glass so he could stab Stefan with it.

Stefan didn't reply and Rebekah continued to pout, making the atmosphere at the table infinitely more dull. They only had themselves to blame for what he did next. Rebekah should have known better than to let him get bored. It never ended well.

Kol caught the arm of the next solo person who was passing by their table. "No screaming, no trying to run. Sit here and be quiet no matter what happens," Kol compelled, tugging the young man into the booth with them.

"Kol," Rebekah chided, glancing toward the crowd. No one seemed to have noticed anything awry. She supposed that if they did it would be easy enough to deal with them. Though she wasn't in the mood for a blood bath. Not with everything else that was happening.

"We're just having a little chat. Aren't we…what's your name?" Kol inquired, resting his arm on the booth behind the young man's head. The man didn't answer. Oh right, compulsion. "You can answer the question."

"Let him go, Kol," Stefan butted in, and Kol looked over at him, grinning at the tension in the other vampire's features. Oh this was fun. No point in stopping now.

The man answered but Kol hardly cared, picking up his arm and bit into it, taking a nice long drink before he looked back up. He knew blood was smeared a little on his face. He'd never been one for neatness, but it was Stefan's gaze locked on the man's still bleeding arm that had Kol most amused. He shifted the boy forward a bit, letting his arm lay on the table. Just that bit closer to Stefan.

Kol watched, almost entranced at the war raging in the vampire's features. That need to drink what was being offered was strong, but the one to control himself was as well. It'd be interesting to see which one won out in the end.

"Oh come on Stefan, have something to eat," Kol prompted, biting into the man's hand again, letting more blood flow. "I hear you're much more fun when you've eaten. Like that commercial I saw about some type of candy."

"Snickers," Rebekah supplied, and he could hear the uncertainty in her tone. Kol knew it wasn't in regards to the candy.

"That one," Kol leaned back against the booth, watching the veins darken on Stefan's face. Just needed some fang action now. "You're not yourself when you haven't fed, mate."

"Stop it, Kol," Rebekah ordered, shoving the man's hand off the table.

"Just trying to have a bit of fun, Bekah." Kol sighed, not really in the mood to antagonize his sister. There would be time for that later. Best to keep his entertainment options open.

"_Kol_."

He turned his attention to Zelda who was heading toward their table, shaking her head in disgust at what she was seeing. There was a fury in her features as well, one he knew all too well and enjoyed a little too much. No doubt she had heard about Nandi. Surely she hadn't truly expected him to have not killed the witch. Not with how it might have been beneficial.

"Hello, Zelda. I'm sure you remember my sister Rebekah and this is her companion, Stefan Salvatore." Kol introduced before glancing over at the young man. "No idea what this one's name is. But he tastes divine." The glare she directed him had him arching a brow. "Oh fine. Spoil my fun." He looked back at the young man. "Time to leave. Might want to go get those bandaged to stop the bleeding."

He pushed the man out of the booth, not caring that he stumbled off into the crowd. It was just a little blood loss. He should be fine. Kol patted the newly vacant spot beside him. "Might as well make yourself comfortable while you rail against me, Zee," he suggested, picking up his drink again.

"You killed Nandi," Zelda started, and Rebekah sighed, clearly also done with the night.

"I see no reason for us to be here while you chat up your witch," Rebekah interrupted, motioning for Stefan to leave the booth. "Caroline and Nik should be back soon enough and I'd rather be there to give him a piece of my mind." She looked at Stefan and Kol found her heated gaze to be very telling. "No doubt you'll want to fawn over her."

Someone really didn't like the attention that Caroline apparently received from him. That would make the dynamics of their next road trip fun if Stefan stuck around. Kol knew Rebekah would be and there was no possible scenario he could come up with where their brother would allow Caroline to be out of his sight. At least he wouldn't be bored on the ride back to Virginia.

He didn't bother to listen to Stefan and Rebekah's conversation as they left the club, turning his focus back to Zelda. "She said she was connected to her mother. Usually the death of one brings the death to both with that type of spell." Kol shrugged. "Fifty-fifty chance I knocked off an expression wielding witch. Seemed worth it to me."

Zelda shook her head, clearly not pleased and Kol leaned against the table, propping himself up by his elbow as he regarded her. "You know how I feel about witches, Zelda. How I respect what you can do. I had an opportunity and I took it."

Nothing more, nothing less. Though he had enjoyed it as well. No point in denying that.

"Nandi was a good person." Zelda's shoulder slumped, as she rested her hands on the table, staring at the blood drops.

"She was a means to an end," Kol replied, watching the shudder that ran through the witch. Perhaps it was a bit cold, but it was the truth. "You act as though it's startling behavior for me, Zelda. Did you forget all I did before I was daggered? Or were you too fixated on the things you and I used to get up to back then?" He smirked at her, reaching out to touch her hair and laughed when she pulled away. She had been beautiful back then, saucy. He'd enjoyed their time together before he had been daggered but it was obvious circumstances had changed since then.

He knew the spell that kept her around for over one hundred years had to be taking its toll and wondered how long she would keep pushing it. He'd be sure to visit her on her death bed, offer up eternity even when he knew she wouldn't take it, before ending her life in the quickest, and most pain free way he could come up with.

"Why are you still here? Did Klaus bring the girl to find her father's boyfriend?" Zelda inquired, still annoyed but not putting off as much anger as she had been before. Kol felt that was a point in his direction.

"Bit of an issue with someone trying to get into Caroline's dreams. Successfully doing so. Did a bit of a paralysis spell from in there. Has Nik in an uproar." Kol couldn't help but grin at the idea of it all. His brother being in a tizzy because of some girl was already highly unlikely but the fact Klaus hadn't simply killed her upon learning that someone was trying to use her against him made it all even more intriguing.

"No one witch could do that. Not unless they had given themselves over to expression completely," Zelda told him, and Kol looked back at her, waiting for her to continue. "When that happens you'll know because of what will happen to this world when it starts to break apart. You're dealing with a Coven. Why did they go for her?"

"Did I forget to mention how they want us to stop what we're doing or they'll destroy her so completely that she's nothing but a decoration? Also that my brother is very invested in keeping her out of harm's way," Kol shrugged. Oops. Should have put in the detail. "Seems whoever it is has deduced that we're trying to stop Silas' rise. What are the chances they'll be able to get into our heads?"

"You're older so it'll be more difficult but I wouldn't rule anything out," Zelda frowned and picked up the glass to take drink.

"Might not want to do that unless you're a fan of O negative. Though it may be A positive. I mix those two up sometimes." Kol grinned as she placed the glass down and pulled back from it as though she had been burned.

"Stop killing my witches," Zelda told him and started to get out of the booth.

"I think we'll be gone by morning. Shouldn't be able to kill too many more before then," Kol replied, grin becoming cockier. "Unless you'd like to help me occupy my time." The anger she directed at him in her glare was priceless but Kol simply smirked at her, enjoying her wrath. Even the smack of one of the drink trays against his head did little to ruin his amusement.

He laughed as she left, enjoying the frustration that radiated off of her, impressed with his own wit. Reaching over, he finished off the leftover drinks. No point in wasting them.

* * *

Magic had been beautiful to her once. It had been making feathers dance around, a new subject to talk about with her grandmother, something that allowed her to see the world with new eyes. It had tied her to nature and she had enjoyed it back then. But that seemed like a life time ago. Even lighting a simple candle didn't have the merriment that it once did.

She watched those around her on the back lawn practicing with their own, shifting objects through the air, lighting and extinguishing candles with smiles on their faces, and Bonnie wished she could go back to those days. Back to when magic wasn't something she desperately needed to have in order to protect those she loved. When it had actually been magical, something to look forward to learning more about. Instead that was replaced with desperation, a need to be able to save what was left of her friends.

There was no fun to it any longer. No laughter that went along with it. It was a force that she was learning to control and wield as she needed. She had gotten a bit of that spark for it back with Shane, the thrill of tapping into it again, but surrounded by these witches she wasn't feeling any of that.

"You're thinking too much," Valerie started, interrupting her thoughts and Bonnie turned toward her voice, watching the woman walk over to her. "Not surprising considering all you have dealt with over the last year or so."

Bonnie nodded, unable to help the suspicion of how the woman knew so much about what her friends and she had endured. If she had sensed it then why the hell hadn't she done anything to help stop it. Obviously she was in the area, not too far away from little Mystic Falls and had a Coven at her disposal. Something Bonnie could have used more than once in the past.

"I think Shane picked the wrong witch for this," Bonnie told her, shrugging slightly as she looked back out at the others. "Why not one of them?" They all seemed to have some degree of power. Why couldn't one of them tap into expression.

"You're a Bennett witch. You already wield a great amount of power." Valerie nodded toward the others. "Some of these are first generation witches. Others go back one or two but no one as long as your line goes. Your body can handle it. None of theirs could."

"What about you?" Bonnie watched the woman, wondering what her reaction would be to that question. Maybe there would be some tells in her body language.

"My line goes back far, but not quite as far as yours," Valerie replied, and held out her hands, palms up. "Why don't we try a spell?"

There wasn't anything to the woman's answer besides a small smile. Nothing off-putting, all Bonnie was getting from her was a calmness, acceptance. So she offered up her hands, slipping them on top of the woman's. She hadn't done a spell with another witch since her mother had been turned and she looked down at Valerie's hands, almost seeing Abby's hands for a moment and then her grandmother's. Bonnie closed her eyes, forcing the imaginings away, before she gripped Valerie's hands tightly and looked back at her.

Their gazes locked and Valerie started chanting a simple spell, one that Bonnie recognized but hadn't done in a while. She started saying it along with her and grinned as the magic began to flow between the two of them and then inside of her and out, surrounding the ground around them. Tiny flowers began to sprout, pushing up through the earth, speeding their life cycle along until they were in full bloom.

She was too focused on the beauty of it, the happiness radiating through her again to notice the tense look on Valerie's face as she looked over Bonnie's shoulder. One of the other witches had collapsed to the ground, dead, and was quickly being taken out of the area before Bonnie would notice.

"There's something we need to do," Valerie told her, pulling Bonnie's attention from the flowers back to her. "There are those who are trying to stop us from raising Silas. We need to find them and give them a taste of what is to come if they continue to do so."

Bonnie froze at that. "You want me to help kill them?" She nearly wrenched her hands back, but Valerie kept her hold on them.

"No. Only a warning." Valerie offered up another gentle smile. "Just something to stop them from making a mistake. They'll destroy the cure. Then where would your friends be?"

A warning couldn't hurt, especially if it wouldn't kill them. "And then we'll work on what we need to do in order to get the cure?" The raising Silas part could come after she fixed her friends. Even if she could almost hear her Grams in the back of her head telling not to buy into any of it. But if it meant actually seeing her grandmother again, it was worth it. At least maybe she could make it so what had happened to her Grams after she had abused her powers the last time could be undone. Expression was supposed to be really powerful magic so shouldn't she be able to fix that too?

"We already are," Valerie promised, placing the book on the space in front of them. "A locater spell to find them and then we'll send our warning."

Bonnie nodded, placing her hands down on the book in front of them. She closed her eyes, already beginning to work the magic, knowing the locater spell by heart. She had done it enough for her friends and while it felt different using expression to complete it, the motions and words were the same. Only where she took the magic from was different.

Valerie placed her hands over top Bonnie's, adding her own power to the spell. Images that Bonnie couldn't quite make out flashed in her head. Something almost familiar but she couldn't hold onto it long enough to make sense of it.

"Now we're going to let them know to stop what they're doing," Valerie told her, and Bonnie felt her body heating up, almost as though she was burning up with a fever.

"That should do it, thank you," Valerie told her, cutting off the spell as she pulled the book away.

The rush Bonnie had been feeling was gone but she nodded, thankful she had been successful once again. There were no hiccups with her powers anymore and she deemed that to be a good thing. She watched Valerie walk back into the house for a moment before turning away, wanting to use the solitude to ground her mind once again.

She frowned as she looked down at the flowers that had been in full bloom. They were all now dead. She focused her energy on them, not letting up until every petal was once again full of life.

All fixed.

Everything was just fine.

She never did see the bodies that were being put into the back of a car to be disposed of, the unknown sacrifices for her spike in power. Out of sight, out of mind seemed to be Valerie's motto, and from the way Bonnie continued to blossom with her powers, it seemed to be one that was working in their favor.

* * *

"It's about time that you got here," Rebekah started, and Klaus looked up at the ceiling for a moment, cursing whoever allowed it to be his sister to greet them.

He wasn't in the mood for whatever whining was about to come out of her mouth, and no doubt that would lead to a tantrum that he had no intention of dealing with either. He wanted nothing more than to secure Caroline in the hotel, make certain she wasn't about to run away, and head back out into the city so he could tear open some poor bystanders throat and drink his fill. It had already been a trying day, adding in Rebekah was only asking for heads to roll.

"Yes, well, we don't all feel a need to cater to your schedule, little sister," Klaus bit out, his annoyance tripling as Caroline flashed away from him and right to Stefan, enveloping him in a tight hug.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the two embrace, words of comfort and questions on well-being passing rapidly between the two of them. He despised the ease with which she hugged the other man. Hadn't Stefan done his own share of terrible deeds, killed his own share of people in horrific ways? What was it that allowed him to be embraced that way while he was shunned at every turn?

A look in Rebekah's direction clearly showed that she wasn't a fan of what was happening before them either. "Where's Kol?" Klaus inquired, turning his attention completely to his sister. It wasn't as though the other two could leave the area, no point in torturing himself by watching Caroline take comfort from another.

"Zelda and him are having a little chat," Rebekah informed him, crossing her arms as she looked over at him. "Did you do it?"

"You'll need to be a little more specific. I've done a number of things." Klaus walked past her toward the refrigerator, frowning when he saw that all of the liquor was gone. Of course. He should have known better than to leave Kol alone with it. "Haven't a clue what has you all riled up."

The sad part was that he really didn't. So he had daggered her but she had practically forced that to happen to her with how she had been behaving. Nothing else that had happened in between that time and her apparent awakening should merit any outburst from Rebekah. At least none that he could think of. Except…the quarterback. Surely his sister hadn't truly been enamored with that human.

Klaus turned back toward her, noting that Caroline and Stefan were sitting on one of the couches, catching up on whatever details Stefan knew. "Matt," Rebekah replied, her voice taking on a high pitched quality to it. "I don't care what you did to the others. But why him? What was the point? He was human. No matter to you."

He'd known it would come out eventually. Had considered telling Caroline right away when he'd reunited with Kol and her, but never quite got around to it. Klaus knew she wouldn't take it well. "I did what had to be done," Klaus stated, purposefully not looking toward the blonde on the couch who seemed to choke as she realized what must have happened.

"You bastard," Caroline shrieked, and no doubt would've been on him, hitting him with her hands except Stefan held her back.

"He killed Finn. His time on this Earth was limited anyway," Klaus replied, looking over at the two of them. "I should have taken care of him months ago."

There was no remorse because he felt none for having given the order for the boy to die. It was a means to an end. At least it had been rather quick. "He died with a friend," Klaus added, as if that meant something and sat down on one of the chairs, looking over at Rebekah. "Don't look so surprised, Rebekah. Didn't you plan on killing him at mother's ball? Nearly did when he and Elena went into the lake?"

"Because I was avenging _you_," she shrieked, and Klaus shrugged, shaking his head at her theatrics.

"Semantics," Klaus replied, waving her off. He would not look toward Caroline, did not want to see the anger, the sadness he knew would be there. "He was collateral damage." Perhaps that hadn't been the best phrase to use considering his company but it was the truth. "It happens."

"You're heartless," Rebekah muttered, trembling with barely contained fury. She walked out of the room before anyone could respond.

With her gone, Klaus could hear Caroline's small sobs more clearly, Stefan's words that were meant to be comforting, but he wouldn't look toward them. Was he holding her again? Brushing his fingers through her hair, rubbing soothing circles against her back? Things he had wanted to do only hours before when she had woken from her torturous nightmare. He would have been denied, yet Stefan was so easily accepted, wanted.

The ringing of a cell cut through the air, Stefan answering it a second later. "I'll be right over there," the vampire promised, and Klaus glanced over at Caroline when Stefan was across the room, listening to the call.

She was hugging one of the decorative pillows, legs pulled up and trying to control her tears. "Do you honestly think Kol would have been okay with any survivors?" Klaus began, his voice low and Caroline looked over at him, her eyes narrowed.

"Don't you _dare _say you killed Matt to protect me," she hissed, shaking her head as he cocked his in answer.

"He was a loose end. One I was more than happy to dispose of," Klaus continued, knowing he wasn't helping his situation but he couldn't seem to stop talking. "Just as I did today. Just as I will again and again, sweetheart."

Caroline shook her head, hugging the pillow tighter even as she continued to glare at him. He could almost taste her rage mixed with horror and that was one thing that he enjoyed about her. No matter how terrified she might have been in the moment, she seemed to always try and keep her head held high when facing him.

"The way that you show you care sucks," Caroline muttered, looking away from him, body trembling with emotion. He couldn't quite tell which was winning out in that moment.

"If I remember correctly you're the people person, not me," Klaus reminded, throwing her own words back at her, entirely too amused with himself. She simply scoffed, hugging the pillow tighter and he hated it, wanting her to look at him, for her focus to be on him. He didn't care in that moment if the attention was positive or not. "I am who I am, Caroline."

She didn't answer and he leaned forward, trying to come up with something else to say, another way to goad her into responding. Where was the fight? Where was the constant conversation that seemed to always spill forth from her? He needed to rectify it.

"I have some updates," Stefan said, walking back over to them before Klaus could say another word. From Stefan's tone Klaus could tell they wouldn't be updates that were of any importance to him. He wasn't about to leave the two alone though. "One, Elena apparently snapped Damon's neck…"

"Score one for Elena," murmured Caroline before she looked up at Stefan, shrugging slightly. "Sorry."

Stefan sat down beside her. "Snapped his neck and then left. No one knows where she is and considering her mental state…"

"Gee, I wonder why she's an emotional wreck," Caroline bit out, glaring at Klaus again, and he waved his hand, nonplussed by the display.

"Your mom was there when Elena lost it. Apparently Elena sent her flying across the room," Stefan continued, and Klaus watched as Caroline tensed, fear seeming to engulf her. He watched, fascinated by her reaction.

Once upon a time he had loved his mother. There was a time he believed she may have cared for him as well. But a thousand years and one successful kill on his part, a few attempted killings on her part later, and he had nothing but ill will toward the woman who had given birth to him. He watched Caroline freeze up, the way she seemed to curl inward, waiting for a final blow that she didn't wish to come.

"She's okay," Stefan told her, and just like that Caroline seemed to deflate, grabbing onto Stefan's arms to steady herself. Klaus' eyes narrowed at the contact. "She's just in the hospital for observation because of a concussion but she's okay."

"Lead with that next time." Caroline hit Stefan on the arm, sighing.

"Sorry," he apologized and Klaus leaned back in his chair, watching the two interact with such ease. It was maddening. He would not let it continue.

He never got a chance to say or do anything, the drapes hanging against the window suddenly bursting into flames. The three of them were out of their seats in an instant, Klaus at Caroline's side before the other two could blink. He grabbed hold of her arm, ready to flee from the room when Rebekah opened the door to the balcony, nearly peeking back inside, entirely too close to the flames for his comfort. "Get down to the street," Klaus ordered, pulling Caroline with him as flames appeared on the walls, quickly engulfing them.

This had witchcraft written all over it and he had a feeling that the longer they stood around waiting, the worse it would get. Without another word, Klaus tightened his grip on Caroline and flashed them out of the room and over the hotel wall, landing easily on the street below. He steadied Caroline as she landed beside him, her gaze darting back and forth.

"What about Stefan?"

"I'm sure Ripper was able to get himself out just fine, Caroline," Klaus replied, never letting go of her arm as he led her away from the hotel. Smoke billowed out of the balcony, flames beginning to catch onto other parts of it. No doubt there would be a loss of life but as long as it was none of theirs he hardly cared.

Klaus fished his phone out of his pocket, quickly dialing Kol to let him know not to return to the hotel or get out if he was on his way up. He could see Rebekah heading toward him through the crowd that was gathering to watch the spectacle. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, looking around. "And where is Stefan?"

"Right here," Stefan replied, pushing his way toward the three of them. "It's already in the hallway."

Caroline moved to go to him, but Klaus kept a tight grip on her arm, not letting her move from his side. She glowered at him, trying to yank her arm away but it was useless.

"To answer your question, Rebekah, I believe that's a sign that our stay here has come to an end and it's time to move onto the next task," Klaus informed them, sending off another text to Kol. He put his phone away and looked at Caroline. "Where is your father's ex living?"

She pressed her lips together, glaring at him. "While I'm usually quite a fan of it, now is not the time for your stubbornness, sweetheart," Klaus told her. "If those who tried to burn us alive have an inkling of the knowledge he might possess what do you think they'll do to him?"

"Maybe it'll be better than what you'll do to him," Caroline countered, and Klaus cocked his head to the side, looking down at her.

"I won't harm a hair on him," Klaus replied, and she scoffed at that, clearly not believing it. "What do I need to do for you to believe that?"

"Oh bloody hell, Nik," Rebekah grumbled, pushing at Caroline so that she could clearly see into her eyes. Klaus shoved Rebekah back, pushing Caroline behind him.

"There will be no compelling her." His tone left no room for argument, eyes narrowing dangerously as he watched Rebekah step backward.

"The way you let her speak to you," Rebekah muttered, glancing at Caroline. "I don't see the appeal. Just do what you want with her and be done with it. This little dance you two do has become rather annoying and clouding your judgment. If it was anyone else you would have forced the knowledge out of them without hesitation."

"Rebekah," Stefan murmured, clearly not liking what she was saying or what it might mean for Caroline.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at his sister. He couldn't discount it. If it had been anyone else, he would already have the answer to his question. There would be no bargaining, no trying to assuage her fears. This wouldn't do. He turned toward Caroline who held her head up, though he saw the flicker of fear in her gaze, no doubt thinking he was about to compel her. It was something he swore to himself he wouldn't do to her. That he would always take only what she would give, even if he had to keep pushing for her to give him more.

He had been ready to, but that tiny step back that she took when he turned, the slight tremor in her clenched fists had Klaus changing his move. "Either you tell me what I need to know or I will head back to Virginia and get that information from the only other person I can say for certain would have an idea of where he might be. And considering she's in the hospital already I don't think she'd do all that well with my method of questioning."

Klaus easily caught one fist and then the other, easily trapping her against his chest once again. "You have five seconds to tell me before I make good on my word," he hissed in her ear, refusing to back down on this one.

Stefan was saying his name, Rebekah telling Stefan to shut up, and fire engine sirens rang in the distance. "Arlington," Caroline growled, struggling in his grip. "Arlington, Virginia."

"Now that wasn't too hard," Klaus murmured, resting his chin on top of her head, still holding her tightly against him.

"Did I miss all the fun?" Kol asked, popping up next to Stefan and Rebekah. "Oh, are we enjoying the lover's embrace that's happening now? Even has a bit of candlelight to set the mood." He waved his arm toward the hotel before leaning against Rebekah. "Bit over the top. But our brother was never one to do anything halfway."

Rebekah shoved her elbow into his side and Kol laughed, letting go of her. "I got us a new car. I hear it's called an SUV. Has a TV that flips down. I call controlling that," Kol told them. "Don't really see the point in standing around here any longer."

He turned on his heel, heading off into the crowd and Rebekah shoved Stefan ahead of her to follow after him. Klaus finally released Caroline who pushed him away from her. "If you _ever_ threaten my mother again," she started, her gaze hardening. "I'll stake myself. Then we'll see exactly how you're going to get whatever the hell it is you want from me if I'm nothing but ash."

She turned away, heading off after the others and Klaus was left speechless for a moment, staring at the place she had been a moment ago. He didn't doubt her threat, knew with the certainty that had been in her eyes that she would make good on her word. It rankled him to no end, rage building in him at the very thought of the scenario playing out, at her using her own life against him. That would not do at all.

He stalked off toward where the others were, narrowing his eyes at finding them all already situated in the large vehicle. It seemed he was to be the driver, Kol and Stefan sitting on the seats behind the driver and passenger seat that Rebekah was occupying. Caroline was tucked all the way in the back, her gaze fixed on the window.

Rebekah reached over to touch the radio and Klaus punch his hand into it, destroying the system. "Buckle up," Klaus groused, ignoring his sister's indignant cry and Kol's yammering.

He adjusted the rearview mirror, noting the start of Stefan's brooding before he looked once again at Caroline who continued to stare at the window. It was going to be a long drive.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Happy Klaroline Wednesday! (Almost its Wednesday in some part of the world shhhh) I figured I'd update today instead of Friday because everyone could use some Klaroline in their life. And Originals. With KOL. Because who doesn't love Kol :(**

**But anyway, onto the story. Hope you enjoy this twisted chapter.**

* * *

_As I cannot be the hero, let me be the monster, and lesson them in fear in place of love.- George R. R. Martin_

* * *

In theory a sixteen hour drive didn't seem like it would be that long, but considering who all was inside the SUV and the tension that seemed to be radiating off of most of the passengers, it was a wonder that they had made it to the halfway point. Even more amazing was the fact that everyone still had all of their limbs attached.

Stefan had always thought he had a complicated relationship with his brother, but watching the Mikaelson siblings interact seemed to give new meaning to the word dysfunctional. If they weren't threatening to drive something into one another over the littlest thing they were bickering over it. That usually led to the threats, a few of which had been carried out.

He didn't really care about them though, figuring it all must have been the usual chaos of having the three in such tight quarters. His concern was directed toward the blonde sitting in the back who hadn't uttered a word since they had gotten into the car. She hadn't exited the vehicle after they stopped for gas the first time, ignoring anyone who tried to talk her out of the car. Except for when Klaus did it. He'd gotten a rather venomous glare that Stefan had been particularly proud of seeing her don, even if it did seem to make the Hybrid more volatile than he'd been prior.

There hadn't been an opportunity for him to talk to her, not with the others being around. When she hadn't gotten out of the car, Klaus had shoved him toward the store to go pick up some things. Looked like the Hybrid didn't want them to be alone together. Stefan had a feeling it wasn't because he thought they'd be plotting against him. He'd seen the way Klaus had watched them back in the hotel room when they had hugged, felt Rebekah's anger and jealousy over the embrace as well.

He couldn't help but think of how sad it was that they felt that way about something so innocent. It'd merely been friends comforting one another after everything that had happened, wanting to make sure the other was as okay as they could be considering the circumstances. But friendship seemed to be something none of the Originals quite understood, though some were worse at it than others.

"We need to stop," Rebekah demanded, fiddling with the air conditioning vents for the hundredth time.

"I agree with Rebekah," Kol replied, leaning forward against the armrest between Klaus and their sister. "I've beaten the two games I bought. I need another one."

"And I need new magazines." Rebekah dropped her latest onto the floor beside the others. "The fashion tips in these ones are atrocious."

Stefan leaned back, waiting for Klaus' response. "Or I could snap both of your necks and enjoy the silence our other two companions offer us," Klaus informed them, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.

"Stefan is probably brooding and I think Caroline is giving you the silent treatment," Rebekah pointed out, glancing over her shoulder toward them. "I quite like it. Less chance of her voice becoming so grating."

"I quite like her voice. Much better than your shrieking one. I bet it's quite something when she's moaning out in pleasure. Right, Nik?" Kol started, and Stefan watched the steering wheel bend in Klaus' grip as he tried not to rise to the bait. "Oh wait; you've never experienced that with her."

"Must we talk about that?" Rebekah groaned, flicking the dials again.

"Shall we talk about your lack of one then, dear sister?" Kol commented, picking up one of the magazines and beginning to flip through it. "Humans are unable to do a great number of these sexual positions in this magazine. At least not without a great deal of pain, most likely ending in death. Which tickles my fancy just fine. What else have I missed out on?" He glared at Klaus before looking back at the magazine, flipping to another page. "What rubbish are you reading, Bekah?"

"It's all the rage at school," Rebekah huffed, trying to grab the magazine back from him.

"I think we need to pick up something educational for our sister, Nik. I think I saw a children's book of games and mazes. Perhaps she could learn something useful from that." Kol happily kept the magazine out of her reach which only seemed to infuriate her more, having her lunge for it as best she could while being strapped into the front passenger seat.

"We're not stopping until we need gas again," Klaus informed them, the strain for control in his voice very obvious. "Though I would be happy to drop both of you off right now and you can meet us in Virginia."

"And miss out on all the fun of a family drive? Never," Kol replied, tossing the magazine behind him and giving Rebekah a bright smile. It only widened when she pressed her lips together, letting out a high pitched scream of frustration. He looked over at Stefan who was trying to stare out the window again, working on ignoring the rest of them, focusing on Caroline's reflection. "And to think you once found that attractive."

"Shut it, Kol," Rebekah growled, throwing her empty cup at his head.

"She's such a charmer," Kol continued, easily dodging the cup.

"Enough," Klaus demanded, his voice harsh and demanding obedience.

Rebekah scoffed and crossed her arms, though she didn't make another sound after that. "You're no fun anymore, Nik," Kol muttered, but flicked the television back on above him, turning his attention back to the game as he plugged the headphones back into the outlet. It seemed he didn't feel like pushing any more buttons for a bit.

Stefan wondered what had gotten the Original to cease with his banter, he seemed to enjoy riling the other two up, especially Klaus, but something in the Hybrid's tone had gotten him to halt for at least the time being. Silence fell over the car, Rebekah reading one of the magazines again, Stefan silently watching Caroline's reflection, noting that Klaus was casting looks back in her direction every so often as he drove. And Caroline simply sat with her forehead pressed against the window, still ignoring them.

"I'm hungry," she murmured after some time had passed, the car swerving to the right for a brief second at Klaus startled over the fact that she had spoken.

"Oh look, she speaks," Rebekah muttered, flicking another page. "Should have gotten something when we stopped last instead of sulking in the car."

"What would you like to eat?" Klaus asked, looking back at her in the rearview mirror. "We'll stop at the next place that I see is open."

"You _cannot _be serious," Rebekah demanded, and Stefan tried to refrain from smiling at her indignation. "What happened to us not stopping until we need gas again?"

Caroline didn't reply at all, back in the position she had been since they got into the car, and Rebekah huffed and hawed as Klaus ignored her mutterings, looking for signs of civilization. Stefan glanced over at Kol who was grinning, clearly amused by the situation. He really didn't want to understand how that Original's mind worked.

Half an hour later, Klaus pulled into a gas station, looking over at Rebekah as he parked the car by one of the pumps. "There, Rebekah, you can make sure we're topped off," he told her before getting out of the car.

Stefan climbed out as well, not wanting to see Rebekah's fit over that, even if there was no way he could avoid hearing it. Kol piled out behind him, heading toward the convenience store. To his surprise, Caroline exited as well.

"Oh my, Sleeping Beauty dares to grace us with her presence," Rebekah stated as she got out, rounding the car to start filling it up.

Stefan stepped toward Caroline, wanting to talk to her, but was unsurprised when Klaus slid up next to her, motioning toward the store. "I'm certain you'll be able to find something to whet your appetite," Klaus told her, offering up a charming smile. "Get whatever you'd like."

Caroline simply glared at him for a moment, before making a noise of disgust as she walked away. Klaus narrowed his eyes as he watched her walk, clearly unamused with the situation, clenching and unclenching his fists as she headed into the store. "What did you expect? For her to be jumping up and down at what you did?" Stefan asked, trying not to take a step back when Klaus looked at him. If looks could kill…

"I was protecting her." Klaus looked back at the building and Stefan shook his head. Of course that was all the Hybrid saw he had done. Really didn't surprise him in the least.

"By killing two of her friend's. And you threatened her mom," Stefan pointed out. "I think the latter actually was more of an offense to her, but the other two definitely didn't win you any bonus points."

"Thank you for your unneeded assessment of the situation, Stefan," Klaus bit out before walking away from him as well, heading into the store.

Stefan nearly followed, wanting to keep an eye on Caroline, worried about what the Original brothers might do, but Rebekah was already in his path, blocking him. "I don't think she needs any other white knights heading after her," Rebekah told him, and Stefan arched a brow at that, stepping around her.

"Jealousy really doesn't look good on you," he murmured and headed toward the store. "Especially the unwarranted kind." He was inside before she could answer; intent on not giving her any more of reaction no matter how she acted in response. There was no muttering of words, nothing at all from the other blond, and he looked back out of the door. Rebekah was staring down at the ground, shoulders slumping in something akin to defeat. He watched a small shudder wrack through her body before she straightened herself up, cold exterior once again snapping in place as she stalked back to finish pumping gas into the car.

Was that guilt that he was feeling?

He didn't have time to assess those feelings though, attention snapping to the front counter where Kol was placing on more snacks and magazines than was needed, chatting up the clerk who seemed to be eating up the attention. Stefan shifted his gaze around the store, searching out Caroline who he found in an aisle, picking out some chips. Klaus was at the end of the aisle, watching her, but not approaching. It was almost comical if not for the fact Stefan worried the Hybrid would eventually snap and pry her heart out of her chest in annoyance one day.

There was a thud and Stefan looked over, seeing Kol on the other side of the counter, wiping blood from his chin as Klaus came rounding up toward him. "I was hungry," Kol grinned, hopping back over the counter and grabbing up his snacks.

"Get in the car," Klaus ordered, looking as though he was ready to throttle his younger brother.

"Like you weren't thinking of doing it." Kol glanced over at Caroline who stood clutching her bag of chips to her chest, though he grinned at her, obviously enjoying what he saw. "That's a very pretty face you have, darling."

Stefan looked over at her as well, watching her try to reel back her vampire features, working on her breathing technique. He had a feeling she was reacting to the blood and wondered when she had last fed. Caroline flashed past all of them, heading into the car and curling back up on the backseat before any of them could say a word to her. "Stefan, deal with the security cameras. We need to destroy that footage," Klaus directed, picking up the bag of chips Caroline had dropped on the ground in her haste. He couldn't hear a heartbeat and that was a good enough assessment that the clerk was dead.

Stefan did as asked, knowing they didn't need their faces plastered on the news for murder. It wouldn't help them keep a low profile. Though it seemed that being with Kol made that a constant challenge anyway. Deleting the last few hours of footage and disabling the security system took almost no time and he headed back out, noting the cash register drawer had been pulled open and that no money remained inside. No doubt to help it look like a robbery.

Rebekah was already in the car flipping through a new magazine though now in the space Stefan had been riding in before, Kol was hooked into his headphones again, and Caroline was still curled up in the back, the bag of chips sitting beside her on the seat. Stefan got into the passenger's side, sitting up front by Klaus who peeled out of the station before he even got his seatbelt on.

Stefan sighed and buckled up, not looking forward to the next few hours in the car. He could only imagine what it would be like once they arrived in Arlington.

* * *

It was a simple plan. Gather others who hated Klaus, who'd lost out on family because of the man. Really, he could have gone to a number of places and probably found countless victims of the Hybrid's but Tyler had stuck to the ones who personally meant something to him. He figured it would help sell what he wanted to do, what he was getting them involved in if he could relate personally to each of them.

So he focused on the hybrids. His pack. He knew the last fifteen that had survived better than the others, especially those who had died unsired, but he had felt a kinship to every single one of them. He had a list of every hybrid he knew Klaus had sired, with their last known addresses or at least the state if he couldn't get that detailed. The hybrids hadn't been part of packs a lot of the time but there had always been someone they talked about. That person who they'd left behind when they were turned and the gene ran in families so he figured someone must be missing them. And Tyler felt that those people deserved to know what had happened to their loved ones. He also thought maybe some of those people would want revenge just like he did. Not to mention the chance to get their loved ones back.

Tyler had started in Portland, knowing there had been a pack there, but quickly learned that the one that had been there the year before had already moved on, not wanting to stick around in case Klaus returned looking for more werewolves to sire. His trip there had been cut short by Mikael's arrival and with everything that had happened in Mystic Falls since that time, Tyler knew the Hybrid hadn't ventured toward the West Coast again. He eventually located the pack up in Washington, camping out in Olympic National Park.

They knew he was different the moment he stepped out of the car he'd acquired, every single one of them tensing and warily watching him. Some looked ready to fight. Others looked ready to flee as fast as they could.

"Your kind ain't welcome here." Tyler couldn't be sure who yelled it, but he couldn't hold back his cringe at the words. There was a time when he'd have been welcomed with open arms. Like he had been by Jules' pack, but that seemed like a lifetime ago after everything that had happened. Now he wasn't a werewolf, nor was he a vampire. It was like living and yet not living in two worlds at once.

He hated it.

"Dean was a friend of mine," Tyler started, holding his hands up and not moving toward them. He wanted their trust, didn't want to frighten them. "So was Nate." Two he knew had come from the Portland area and who'd had their lives ended earlier than they should have been. There was a chance that someone knew one of them and if not, they should at least know about Klaus.

"Was?" one called out, another trying to stifle a sob at the news. "That mean what I think it does?"

Tyler nodded, taking one step forward and another when the wolves didn't attack or run. "Yeah, they were slaughtered. By Klaus." He couldn't help the venom in his voice when he said the Hybrid's name.

"Knew that monster wasn't going to be helping them any," one of the men closer to him muttered. "We told them boys."

Tyler knew that some of the hybrids had wanted the change, had willingly walked into it after learning they'd no longer be beholden to the moon. Others had gotten it forced upon them, just like him, never really getting the choice. None of them realized exactly what it all entailed with the sire bond.

"Is he coming here?" someone called out, and Tyler could practically smell the fear radiating off the group at that suggestion.

Just the thought of Klaus could inspire so much fear and it made Tyler sick. How one man could have that much power, could rip apart families with such ease. It was _wrong_, it was _sick_. He needed to be stopped. Looking at these terrified faces only reiterated that belief.

"No. He can't make any more hybrids," Tyler assured. Well, not unless Klaus got the cure. But he meant to make certain that never happened. He would destroy it if he had to. The others would understand, and even if they didn't, that wouldn't stop him. Klaus wasn't allowed to rip apart anymore families like he had, to use werewolves as his own personal, expendable army. Not if Tyler had a say and considering what Jules and Mason had told him and showed him, he was going to have one.

Relief swept through the group at that revelation and they started back doing what they had been working on before he had driven up to see them.

"What if I told you that I could get them back? And that we could stop Klaus once and for all?" Tyler asked, watching the faces of the others, trying to gauge their reaction. Most turned away, not wanting any part in what he was selling, but a handful of them stepped forward.

"Nate was my brother," one told him.

"Dean was my best friend," another replied.

"What exactly do we need to do?" one more asked.

Tyler grinned, nodding toward the roaring fire in the middle of the campground. "Why don't we go sit down and I'll fill you in on everything."

* * *

Getting out of the car only to head to the hotel was not exactly what Rebekah wanted to do. Their confinement had only increased in size and being saddled with the other four for any more length of time seemed like a rather tortuous punishment. One that she could not think up a reason for her to suffer. Kol's little bards were beyond grating, as was Klaus' constant glances toward the annoying little cheerleader he continued to pick over. Even Stefan's presence was getting on her last nerve.

"I do not care what the rest of you are off to do. I am going to go soak in that lovely marble tub and if any of you disturb me I'll make sure a piece of it ends up in your heart." It wouldn't kill any of them but it would hurt and it'd make her feel infinitely better.

She turned on her heel, already heading in the direction of the master bath and trying to ignore anything Kol would add. She knew he would. He never could hold back with his little comments.

"Rebekah," Klaus started, and she stopped, turning to look at him. He looked as though he was going to chastise her decision and she was not about to allow that. Not this time. Not after the bastard had daggered her again and left her to lie in the tunnels. From what she'd gotten out of Kol, neither he nor Elijah had known what had happened. _Typical._

"I have nothing to say to you right now," she replied, turning on her heel again, pushing her way past Stefan who seemed about to say something as well, but didn't. _Coward._ Not that she probably even wanted to know what might have come out of his mouth.

"While our sister wastes her time playing in the bathtub, I'm going out," Kol remarked, and Rebekah closed the bathroom door, not giving a damn where he was headed in that moment.

Kol would leave and cause chaos somewhere for a few hours while Klaus and Stefan fawned over Caroline. That was just fine by her. She'd sit in the bathtub and mull over her plans for the cure. To stop Silas's rise they would no doubt have to go to wherever he was currently residing and if the rest of the information she had been told was correct then the cure would be there as well. It should be simple enough to abscond with it while the others completed their own tasks.

Maybe it was just a fleeting idea, to end her infinite existence. To actually have a chance to grow old, to marry and have children and finally die. She wasn't so sure about the dying part but she did want the rest of it. Or at least she thought she did, she wanted the chance to be able to have it. One that had been torn from her because of her parents' fear. There were other ways to get the same kind of chance, ones where she wouldn't have to give up her immortality for a more human life, but she was currently fixated on this one. _Wanted _this one, and why did it have to be denied to her?

If they could stop Silas and keep the Mikaelson parents from ever leaving the Other Side and the cure remained intact then shouldn't she get the chance to take it if she wanted? Not that she was about to tell any of the others that fact. She had an idea of what her brothers' reaction would be and it wasn't anything pretty. But she was over a thousand years old, wasn't it about time she was allowed to make her own decisions without their added quips and jibs?

She picked her cell up from where she had laid it near the bath, listening to see who had stuck around and from the multiple voices she could hear knew that a phone conversation wouldn't be plausible. Not with how easy it was to eavesdrop. A text would have to do.

Rebekah: I need you to do some digging for me.

April: What do you need? Are you alright? :(

Rebekah: I'm perfectly fine.

Rebekah: See if you can locate any of that professor's work. Anything related to the Silas myth.

April: I can do that. :)

Rebekah: Thank you, April. Let me know what you find ASAP.

April: TTYS :)

Rebekah erased the messages and dropped the phone back on top of her clothes. That girl used entirely too many smiley faces, but she was the only one who hadn't stabbed her in the back, who had actually removed the dagger from her, and that had to mean something. Even if she could be fairly irritating.

This friendship thing was a lot harder than it seemed.

It wasn't like servants or compelling people to do her bidding. That she excelled at, having servant girls who followed her every whim, companions who listened intently because she wanted them to was easy enough. But genuine friendship like she had watched the Mystic Falls gang have with one another was like a foreign language she had yet to master, one she didn't quite know the nuances to and continued to mix up something polite with a motion that meant something vulgar instead. It was draining the changes that had occurred while she had been in that coffin. The camaraderie between everyone seemed to have altered, what she had known to be the norm less than a hundred years ago was now a thing of the past and nowhere near in style any longer.

It was maddening and she hated her brother for taking those years from her, even if a small part of her understood why he had done so. His twisted belief that he was keeping them safe by keeping them with him, so easy to cart around out of their father's reach. She had been the one who never left his side and she knew that her saying she wanted to be with Stefan was something Klaus hadn't been able to handle. Not with Mikael right on their table.

He hadn't been the first Rebekah had wanted to run away with, there had been others, but Stefan had been the last straw after everything else that had happened that year. Elijah leaving the group, Kol's daggering, she had been the last sibling at Klaus' side.

Rebekah leaned back in the tub, staring up at the ceiling. But there would be no more thoughts about Klaus or any of it. She wanted to relax and thinking about him would never allow that to happen.

* * *

Elena glanced around the college bar, keeping an eye out for the young man that she was supposed to find. She didn't know why she was so adamant about doing so, why she knew she needed to complete this task above anything else. It was all that mattered any more, doing what had been so neatly laid out in her mind. She couldn't seem to deviate from it and unlike with the sire bond her mind never even tried to do so. There were no flashes of remembering something else, only for her brain to work itself out to fit into the boxes it had been told to make work for her now.

This was different.

All she had now were the plans that continuously rolled over in her head. There was no deviating from them, no caring about anything except completing them. She didn't get any satisfaction from doing so, but there was no fear either. No sorrow. No complete and utter devastation that she had lost the last remaining member of her family. Nothing but the need to follow through with her task. It would have been peaceful if she'd been able to feel anything close to that emotion.

It was easy enough to find her target, and she slid over on the bar beside the guy, smiling playfully at him. He arched a brow at his friend before turning all of his attention over to her, his gaze dropping down to her chest and then back up to her eyes. Nothing at all subtle about the motion.

Elena didn't hesitate, scooting in a little so she could lock her gaze with his. "Do exactly what I say. Take me home," she compelled, though from the way he had been looking her over, practically salivating at the idea of what she must look like under her jeans and low-cut top, she had a feeling she might not have needed to resort to that.

Ah well. It made everything easier if he followed her directions.

He slid off the stool and she followed after him, ignoring the few cheers let loose from his friends as they exited the bar together. Once they got to the dorm, she easily played into the part of a random hookup, kissing him hard as she pushed him up against the door.

After some fumbling with the keys, the boy eventually got it open and they stumbled inside. Elena closed the door behind them, letting her fangs drop down as he turned to set the keys down on the table beside it. "Don't scream."

He didn't, compulsion not allowing it, though she could taste his fear, see it in his eyes as he looked back at her. She pounced, tearing into his throat and drinking her fill of him. She didn't kill him though, biting into her wrist once she felt his heartbeat weaken considerably. She pushed it against his mouth, forcing her blood down his throat.

The wounds to his neck were already healing and she pulled back, licking her lips as she watched him stare at her in horror, trying to figure out what was happening. Elena smiled at him, and then reached out, quickly breaking his neck. He fell onto the floor, reminding her of an old rag doll she'd once had as a little girl. It had flopped down onto the floor just like he did.

"Now we'll just wait for your roommate to get here," she murmured, stepping over his body and sitting down on the couch before turning on the television.

Inside somewhere she must have been screaming, hating everything that she was doing, what she was becoming. But she didn't feel any guilt. She didn't feel anything in that moment except a need to continue to carry out the design.

Hours passed and eventually the boy woke up, pushing up off the ground and rubbing his neck, uncertain what had happened. He nearly screamed as he looked at her but she was off the seat in seconds, pressing him to the wall, hand clasped over his mouth, as the key turned in the lock. Looked like the roommate was home.

"Oh, jeeze, John. I didn't know you had…" his roommate stumbled as he walked into the dorm, seeing the two of them pressed against the wall.

John was in transition, not quite a vampire yet, and Elena had months on him in regards to her own strength, holding him easily in place. She let him go as the roommate closed the door and pounced on the new young man even as John shouted, "Get the hell out of here, Eddie."

Elena easily caught Eddie, locking him into place against her as she bit into his wrist. The smell of blood erupted in the air and she could hear John's struggle over it, how tempting it was for him to drink it and complete the transition. She pulled Eddie to him, letting John drink some of the blood as the other boy cursed, wondering what was happening.

It didn't take much to do the trick and Elena pushed John off, letting him fall back to the wall as he fully turned, fangs descending and snapping at his roommate. "What the fuck is going on?" Eddie demanded, trying to get the hell away from him.

Elena slammed her hand into the table that held the keys, easily splintering it, and grabbed a piece of the wood, forcing it into Eddie's hand. She helped him swing it, effectively staking the newly turned John. Eddie screeched, dropping the wood and looking down at his dead friend, at her, and then at his right arm, his horror seeming to grow with each thing.

"What the fuck did you do?" he screamed, pulling at his hair, and she had a feeling he thought he was going mad. He probably was. "Where did this fucking tattoo come from?"

"The others will be here soon to explain everything," Elena told him and stepped back, wiping her hands on her pants. "My deed is done."

She flashed out of the room and away from the campus before he could say anything. It wasn't her task to help him through what he'd just become. She had other things to do to help Silas rise and she meant to see each of them through. Not that she really had a choice in the matter.

* * *

Caroline didn't budge from the passenger seat of the SUV, staring over at the townhouse that they were currently parked in front of. She hadn't visited it in over a year, but everything about it looked the same. Even the small sign letting people know the place had a security alarm was still lopsided in the middle of the lawn. Steven's car was in the driveway, but she didn't see any sign of his daughter's bike. That usually meant the girl was either at her mother's or at a friend's house for the night. Caroline hoped that was the case. She really didn't want to get that kid involved. She didn't want Steven involved either but there wasn't any way to talk Klaus or the others out of seeing him.

"We do need to exit the vehicle, love," Klaus started, and she nearly gave herself whiplash with how fast she turned her attention to him.

"I'm not leaving this car until you swear to me that you won't hurt him." She was adamant about that, crossing her arms and fixing her gaze with his own. She could see the internal battle going on inside of his head, no doubt wanting to lash out at her for even suggesting that he cater to her demands mixed with his apparent desire to not upset her.

"_Or_ I can go in there alone and get all that I want out of him by whatever means I deem necessary. All while you sulk in the car." Apparently lashing out was winning this time. "Though, I'm sure you'll exit it eventually. No doubt when his screams become a bit too much for you to handle."

She was fuming, hands now down in her lap, clenching her fists in her lap.

"Don't think that you can force my hand, Caroline," Klaus continued, and she looked away from him and back at the house, wishing Steven's car hadn't been there. That she could warn him to get the hell out and run as fast as possible, for him to hide somewhere that he'd never be found. But she didn't have her phone and she didn't know his phone number by heart. She wasn't even sure he had the same one anymore since her dad and he had apparently broken up before her dad's death.

"However," Klaus started, and she looked back at him, wondering what new blow he was going to unleash on her. She didn't like his smirk, the one that implied he knew he was about to win, that he was already counting his victory before it happened. "The chances of him walking away with his life do increase dramatically if you're in there with me." His hand ghosted up her arm, and she wrenched her body away from his, getting out of the car as fast as she could manage without drawing attention.

She didn't dare look at him when he joined her on the sidewalk, already imagining how amused he was by how masterfully he'd manipulated the situation. Caroline headed toward the front door, her annoyance only growing as Klaus walked in sync with her. "I'm guessing it's too much to hope you'll let me do the talking," Caroline grumbled as she knocked on the door.

"We can start your way," Klaus replied, and she wanted to strangle him for the amusement she heard in his voice as the door opened.

"Hey," Caroline started as she saw Steven. He looked a little older, a little balder, but it was still the guy who had helped her learn how to do basic maintenance on her car when she'd first got it. "Sorry for just dropping—"

Steven's features flicked from surprise to dark determination in a split second. She didn't even see where the stake came from that he lunged forward with, aiming for her heart. It never got anywhere close, Klaus grabbing the man's arm and twisting it. There was a snap as the bone broke, stake falling to the floor as Klaus pushed him up against the front of the house. "Wrong move, mate."

His forearm was pressing against Steven's neck and Caroline could hear him struggle to breath. She knew if Klaus kept it up that he'd snap his windpipe in seconds. "No! Stop!" she grabbed onto Klaus' arm, trying to pull him away. "You can't hurt him. Stop it."

"He nearly killed you." And she knew by Klaus' tone that was all that mattered to him in that moment. Gone was the fact that they were supposed to get answers or the fact that they could be seen by anyone at the moment. Admittedly no one else seemed to be out and about but that could change at any second.

"But he didn't." Caroline kept pulling at his arm. "Steven invite us inside, please. We need to talk to you. Remember?" She pushed at Klaus, trying to get him to release his hold. "He has information for us. We need him alive."

"I'm not inviting you anywhere," Steven told her, his voice hoarse as he attempted to struggle against Klaus. There was none of the warmth she was used to, even how he looked at her sent shivers down her spine. "I'll kill you both as soon as he lets go of me."

"It seems we'll be using my time tested methods of gathering information." Klaus leaned forward until he was a hair's breath away from Steven. "And your little stakes and vervain traps and anything else you're thinking of using won't do a lot against me. I don't believe we've been introduced but considering what Zelda said about your pastime, I'm sure you've heard of me. The name's Klaus."

Steven's eyes widened in horror, his breath hitching, and Caroline could smell the spike in fear, could see the sweat beading on his forehead. "I see you've heard of me."

And there was that damn smugness all over again.

"Now, be a good chap and let us in," Klaus compelled, but Steven continued to grab onto his arm trying to pry him off even though it was useless. "I see you can't be compelled at the moment. Pity."

Klaus moved his hand, drawing Steven toward him for a moment before striking the back of his neck. Caroline gasped as the man collapsed forward. "What did you do?"

Oh god oh god. Was he dead? He couldn't be dead. "He's perfectly fine, Caroline," Klaus told her as he lifted Steven up and turned to head back to the car. "He'll wake again in a bit and we'll be able to get all the information we need from him. Considering he most likely has vervain in his system it may take a tad bit longer than I'd like to get answers."

"What did you do?" she urged, following him toward the SUV. He placed Steven in the back of it and motioned for her to head back to her side of the car. She did as directed, glancing back at Steven as she buckled up.

"There are certain areas on the body that if pressed in a specific way can garner different types of reactions from the body. Such as knocking someone out," Klaus informed her as he started up the car. "He should be fine when he wakes, though I doubt he'll enjoy the circumstances."

"So we'll get our information and then we'll let him go."

Right? That seemed doable. Though she knew Klaus was right and maybe Steven did have vervain in his system. It was that or he had learned to fight off compulsion like her father had. She worried what Klaus would want to do to him if that was the case. If it was vervain then they'd need to bleed it out of him…but if he was able to fight the compulsion. Caroline didn't even want to imagine what would need to happen for Klaus to get his answers then.

"He did just try and stake you." Klaus' hands tightened on the steering wheel and Caroline thought it was a miracle that it was still usable considering the dents he'd put in it. At least he hadn't torn it out like he had the radio and eventually the television as well.

"I don't care. He has his biases right now because all he has probably ever seen is the monster side." Caroline looked over at Klaus. "And there's more to all of us than the fact that we're monsters, that we have to drink blood to survive and can snap him like a twig. Even you are more than just that." She looked away, not wanting to see his reaction to that particular admission of hers.

Caroline didn't want him to know she saw that he wasn't a completely awful person, but how could she deny that when he'd made so many attempts to show her all of the other facets to his personality. From the paintings to the charming gentleman to the offers of worldwide travel to simply being a wonderful conversationalist when they were alone together. She'd seen the glimpses of his humanity, knew it was in there. Klaus just ruined all of those instances by every other action he took, by half the words that came out of his mouth making her want to stab him.

Case in point, Tyler's mom. Matt. Jeremy.

"My mom despised what I was at first, she'd been brought up her whole life to fear and hate vampires, but she's seen that what she had learned wasn't exactly correct. And she loves me," she continued as they drove away from the house. "My father, tortured me to try and get me not to have the basic urges because he loved me and didn't want to kill me, and even he realized that we're not all bad. So I have faith that Steven can see that too. He might not have known me as long as my parents but he loved me like a daughter at one point."

She looked back over at Klaus, thankful that his gaze was fixed on the road. "And even if he doesn't, what does it matter if we let him go. We'll be long gone and I doubt we'll ever even see him again."

Klaus glanced over at her. "Don't be so naive, Caroline. He won't stop until he kills you."

"Not everyone is your father," Caroline snapped, knowing her words would hit a chord. She hoped it hurt.

"No," Klaus replied, his cold tone causing a chill to run up her spine. "This one will be far easier to kill. And you'll never have to experience what it's like to live a life on the run."

Seriously?! "I didn't ask you for your help."

"And I didn't ask for your ungrateful attitude but it seems we're both getting something we both don't want today," Klaus replied, steering the car into the turn lane.

Caroline dug her nails into her palm, trying to force back her biting replies. It wasn't worth it and she needed to save her energy and her thoughts for figuring out how to help Steven, not trading barbs with Klaus. "How exactly are you planning on getting him up to the hotel room? Or covering up his screams with whatever method of torture that I'm sure you're just dying to try out?" She couldn't help but cringe at her own question.

"Who said we're heading back there?" Klaus mused, and Caroline looked out the window, realizing that they were not headed that way at all. In fact they seemed to be going away from the more populated area of the city. "Though thank you for reminding me."

He pulled out his cell, dialing a number and Caroline sighed, trying to determine how she'd be able to free Steven if they ended up somewhere without crowds. The whole releasing him onto the streets so he could at least attempt to disappear into a large group of people was so not going to pan out. "Tell me the place you located is adequate, Kol." There was a pause as they both heard his brother respond, confirming what he wanted to know. "We'll be there soon."

He hung up and Caroline sunk into the seat, knowing she needed to come up with a damn good plan or Steven wouldn't be walking away with his life. And she couldn't stomach someone else she knew dying by Klaus' hand, especially not with his excuse that he was doing it to protect her.

* * *

Life went on in Mystic Falls, even with two teenage boys having died, three girls having disappeared, and while Liz at least knew who her daughter was with she didn't have a clue where Bonnie was or what exactly had happened to Elena. Stefan was gone as well and she had doled out the appropriate excuses to the school as to where all of them were, but actually seeing the world continue to spin while her own was once again falling apart was hard to stomach.

Shifts at the station weren't about to end and considering she was Sheriff, she still had quite a bit of tasks to dole out on a daily basis. For as small as Mystic Falls was, it sure did seem to have a lot of trouble every so often. Even with practically every known vampire out of the town, Liz didn't want to let down her guard. Something was going on. There had to be a reason for all of those dead bodies in the forest, for Jeremy and Matt, for the girls to be gone.

And then there was Carol's death. It was no accidental drowning like the rest of the town thought and while she had a feeling that Klaus had committed the murder, she couldn't say anything for certain considering everything that had happened afterward.

An interim mayor needed to be found and she had a number of people she needed to talk to about that, but her focus was drawn to the vampire standing beside her police cruiser as she exited the precinct. "Damon?"

Had he heard anything from the others? She hadn't talked to Caroline since that last call and she couldn't help but worry about her daughter. "I'm leaving town. Thought I'd let you know in case you turn up at the boarding house," he started, squinting in the sunlight.

"You have a lead?" Anything new on any of them? Because she definitely hadn't seen or heard anything.

"Not a thing, but I'm not going to wait around here when its obvious something is wrong with Elena." Damon shrugged, pushing off the car. "I'm going to find Bonnie. She can't have gotten that far and I'll get her to locate Elena."

"What about Caroline?" Who was going to help her?

"Your daughter will be fine, Liz." He nodded, almost like he was trying to force that statement to be true just by saying it. "Stefan's with her and Klaus. Well." He shrugged, and Liz shook her head. "I doubt he'll be disposing of her anytime soon."

"I know all about Klaus' weird fixation on my daughter and I don't think that guarantees her well-being." How could it? Didn't the guy go around daggering his own family? Hadn't he used Caroline as a bargaining chip once already? She didn't trust the Hybrid with Caroline's life.

"Like I said, Stefan is with her so she's already got back up," Damon told her, shrugging again. "My priority is Elena."

Liz watched him turn away, not surprised by his answer. She hoped he did find the girl and was able to help her out, but maybe it was time she made her daughter be her priority. Mystic Falls could cope without her for a little bit.

* * *

Klaus tightened the last knot, securing Steven in place. He almost hadn't gone with hanging the man by his arms, knowing that the already annoyed blonde would only be further angered by it, but Klaus wasn't about to hold back. Not after the man had tried to stake her, would have succeeded in doing so if he hadn't gone with her for answers. Caroline's naivety would be the death of her, especially in regards to the people she cared for.

How could she not see that having so many fall under the umbrella of family, of loved ones, was leaving her infinitely more vulnerable than she needed to be? That was why he had spent the last thousand years only allowing his siblings to fall into that category. If his father slaughtered the latest man or woman he was bedding it was nothing but an annoyance, something easily rectified in the next town they decided to run to. He'd allowed himself to feel for his horse once, to develop a strong bond with the creature and that was the only blow that had caused any emotional response.

Klaus hadn't wanted to bond again with another creature since that night, watching his father kill the animal all because it had been his, something he cherished and loved. He had tried once more with Stefan in the twenties, enjoying the other man's company greatly, but even that had been cut short and he'd done what he needed. Taking away the memories and keeping his new friend safe, daggering Rebekah when she couldn't see reason. Another reminder that Mikael would always be there to take from him anything that he cared for.

But Mikael was dead now and while that should have meant he was free to love again, a thousand years made that exceedingly difficult. His responses to people, to common events was far too engrained in his mind and body to be altered. At least not without a significant portion of time or reason to do so. Even now his response when he felt that his siblings would be a liability was to dagger them, to put them away where no harm could come to them, where he could control it so they would live to see another day. Just as he had done with Rebekah.

As he considered doing with Kol if the boy became too much of a risk. There was never any reasoning with him, no certainty to how his younger brother would react to any given situation, and that was something Klaus knew he would not tolerate for too long. That was why when Kol left for decades at a time to live his own life, to cut his own path of destruction, Klaus had rarely cared unless word of their father being near reached his ears. There was no Mikael now to chase them, to hunt them down and threaten death, but Klaus knew that there were other worries. Such as Mikael returning and never being able to die again.

He would not allow Kol's impulsiveness to accidentally set that into motion.

"Are we going to bleed him out?" Kol piped up, sitting down on a pile of lumber that was lying in the house. It was still under construction as were all the other houses within a five mile radius. The area was fenced off to ward off trespassers. That coupled with the lateness of the house, the chances of anyone stumbling across them were very slim. "It'd be the easiest way to get the vervain out of his system."

"If he even has any in him," Caroline muttered, and Klaus turned toward where she was pacing a few feet away.

"Have something to share with the class?" Klaus asked, arching a brow at her. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if she did.

"My dad couldn't be compelled," Caroline replied, trying to remember if she'd told them that before.

"Like our former pal. That professor fellow," Kol butted in, waving at her to continue. Klaus wouldn't put it past Kol to have already forgotten Shane's name.

"He learned how not to be during his travels. Not sure how, but if Steven went with him on those then pretty good chance he doesn't need vervain to fight off your orders," Caroline continued, and Klaus nodded, remembering her saying something about that before.

"Easy enough way to find out," he commented offhandedly, and stepped forward, biting into the man's neck. He pulled back as Caroline shrieked for him to stop, wiping the blood from his lips as he turned around to face her and Kol. "Seems he's not on vervain."

Kol was laughing, obviously enjoying the show, but Caroline glared at him for a long moment before she looked away. Her body was trembling and he could see the barely contained fury as her nails dug into her palms. "Oh don't look so scandalized, darling," Kol commented, striding over to her. "Nik's always been quite good at getting to the heart of the matter. In fact he's often been fond of stealing hearts. Plunging his fist right through the ribcage and pulling it out for all to see." He stopped in front of her. "Maybe he'll even teach you how to do it on your friend here."

"That's enough," Klaus warned, sensing her growing anger at the situation. "Why don't you head back and make sure Rebekah is behaving herself?"

"And let you be swayed into compassion by this one?" Kol cocked his head toward Caroline. "I don't think so."

A groan cut through the air, silencing the three of them and turning their attention to Steven who was slowly regaining consciousness. "Looks like the entertainment is about to begin," Kol grinned, nudging Caroline with his elbow. "Might want to get a little closer. Wouldn't want to miss any of the fun."

For a moment, Klaus was pleased her glare was directed at his brother, but that changed when she looked back at him, her eyes narrowing. She headed straight past him and toward the hanging man. Klaus grabbed her elbow, unwilling to let her near the man. He didn't care how secure he had made his bindings. "I want to talk to him," she groused as she attempted to yank her arm out of his grip.

"I think you'll find that your voice will carry just fine from this distance," he told her, refusing to budge on the issue. There would be no chances taken that night. Not if he could help it. He let go of her and strode forward in the same motion, heading to Steven before she was able to move. Klaus gripped Steven's chin, forcing the man's attention to be squarely on him. "Nice to see you back with us."

It took a moment for Steven to gather his bearings, to remember what had happened back at his house. The uncertainty quickly shifted to hatred mixed with a determination that Klaus could almost respect if he didn't find it so laughable. "What the hell do you want?" Steven demanded, pulling at the ropes that held him aloft.

"I was told you have information that I require," Klaus started, clasping his hands behind his back as he watched the man struggle in the bonds. "We could have done this the easy way. Invited us inside, had a little chat, but you chose to try and thrust a stake into Caroline's heart as soon as that door opened."

"That's what you do to monsters. You kill them so they can't kill anyone else," Steven replied, and Klaus heard the hitch in Caroline's breath, could almost picture the pain in her expression at having this person she had loved think of her in such a way.

He couldn't discount that it was partially true. The girl was a monster now, though not in the way that the man before him seemed to equate her as. Just as there were so many types of humans, all with their own morals, there were also just as many types of vampires. Klaus enjoyed the thrill of the kill, the ending of a life that he chose to take, and while he had an inkling that Caroline had enjoyed any kills she might have done because of her nature, that didn't erase the fact that she didn't purposefully go out to hunt others. Unlike he did. Or his siblings. Or countless others.

"And here I thought you too had been close once upon a time," Klaus commented, circling the man and taking note of where he would strike first.

Steven looked over at Caroline, locking his gaze with hers. "The Caroline I loved died the day she became a vampire," he spat, and Caroline crossed her arms at that.

Klaus wondered how many times she had heard something similar from her loved ones, how many times they had thrown such words at her and yet she still managed to build herself back up again and not fall down to their low expectations. "No, I didn't," she told him, taking a step forward but didn't approach any further at Klaus' look. "But this isn't about me. Or you. Or whatever you think of vampires because I don't care. I just want you to be able to leave here alive—"

"Fat chance of that happening," Kol called out, looking around the floor and randomly picking up various lengths of wood. He swung one, trying it out before dropping it to the ground with a small shrug.

"Shut up, Kol," Klaus and Caroline told him at the same time. Kol simply laughed, while Caroline smoothed her hair down, a reaction that Klaus had come to see was her trying to contain her emotions.

"You let me leave here alive and I won't rest until you're dead," Steven promised, and Caroline sucked in a breath at that. Klaus flexed his hand, wanting nothing more than to rip the man's heart from his chest at confirmation of what he'd do if released but there was information that they needed to get from him still. "Your father was a fool to think he could save you with conditioning. He should have staked you when he had the chance."

"Would you stake Krissy if she became a vampire?" Caroline asked, and Klaus knew she was trying to make him see reason but he also knew that fanatics like this so rarely did.

"Are you threatening my daughter?" Steven yelled, pulling harder at the ropes.

"This is becoming rather boring now, Nik," Kol sighed, giving another piece of timber a whirl. "Just find out what he knows about Silas and let me slaughter him."

"If anyone is going to kill this one it will be me, brother," Klaus told him, picturing a number of ways he would delight in torturing the man. Perhaps he would get Kol to bring Caroline back to the hotel so he could do so in peace.

"No one is slaughtering him!" Caroline yelled, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"Silas?" Steven breathed out, his face paling considerably. "What do you know about him?"

Kol tapped the board on the ground before tossing it aside. "First immortal. Already waking and going to cause hell on earth unless we stop him." He looked over at Steven, picking up another piece of wood. "I know, can't quite believe we care about the state of the world, but it's rather hard to enjoy living if its chaos all the time. Need breaks every so often. And who would I snack on?"

"We need to find Sanai. Zelda, she said she knew you and that you know where Sanai is," Caroline continued, silence falling for a moment after she spoke.

Klaus stepped forward, watching Steven's facial muscles tense as he considered what to do with that information. From the struggle on the man's face it was obvious that he did know something, that he considered Silas to be something of a threat, but his hatred for what they were was warring with his need to help them.

"Last I heard she was with her coven in Amsterdam. But that was over a year ago," Steven finally admitted, the internal struggle still going on inside of him.

"Any way to contact her?" Kol asked, spinning a slender piece of wood in his hands.

"No." Steven shook his head. "She usually finds you."

"Then it looks like your helpfulness has run its course," Klaus told him, smiling maliciously. They could all smell Steven's fear spike, see the tension in his body as Klaus circled to stand in front of him.

"Klaus," Caroline protested, stepping forward and touching his arm. "Just let him go home. You won't do anything. Right, Steven?" She had to hope he wouldn't, wanted to trust that those days of playing tea party, all of the cheerleading competitions he'd been to, the shopping trips, and ice cream sundaes at two in the morning meant something. That he'd think of his own daughter and how she should have a father in her life. All he had to do was walk away. He could do that, couldn't he?

"I won't let you dishonor the girl that Caroline was," Steven told her, and Caroline stepped back at the hate in the man's eyes. She knew he meant it and she knew there wasn't any way she could save his life, not if Klaus thought he was truly a threat to her own.

"Don't do this," Caroline pleaded as Klaus turned around.

"You heard him, Caroline," he reminded her, reaching out to tuck a curl behind her ear. "He won't stop until he kills you." Which he found rather foolish of the man, but fanatics were never all that levelheaded when faced with something that could destroy their belief system.

"I don't want him to die because of me." That was the last thing she ever wanted. "If you do this I will…I'll..." She couldn't seem to get the words out. Her emotions were too heightened, anger mixed with grief.

"I will do what I must," Klaus told her. _To keep you alive._ Why was he so adamant about that? How had she wormed herself into his mind, into his heart? It shouldn't have been possible. It wouldn't have been if Mikael had been alive. He'd had killed her long before Mikael would ever have been able to use these growing feelings against him. But Mikael wasn't an issue any longer and Klaus looked at Caroline and saw what his future could be, if only he could convince her to give him a chance.

Admittedly, killing another she was fond of was probably not going to help him in that endeavor. But she really did need to learn not to let so many into her heart.

"Take her back to the hotel, Kol."

"No," she tried to protest again but Kol had already latched onto her arm and sped them out of the building before she could say another word.

Klaus looked back at the hanging man, pondering how best to go about completing this task. Perhaps there was a way to ensure Caroline's survival and have her not hate him for one more thing.

"Tell me about this Krissy," he told the man, watching Steven tense considerably at the girl's name. Steven didn't respond. "I wonder does she have the same ability as you to withstand compulsion?" From the spike in the man's heart rate he took that as a no. "I think I'll go pay some lovely people in this town a visit. You'll never know who. You'll never know how close they'll ever be to that daughter of yours. But if you ever lay a finger on Caroline, if you ever attempt to end her life again, I will make one single call and your daughter will be left on your front porch, hanging from her entrails."

There it was, that release of bodily fluids as the fear became too much. Amazing what the love of a child could do to ensure the compliance of some men. That bond was extraordinary at times. Though he had never experienced it, Klaus was apt at using it against others.

He cut one of the ropes, letting Steven fall a bit and tossed the knife so it would be within the man's reach. At least it would be if he worked for it a bit. "I believe you can see yourself out," Klaus grinned and stepped back. "I'd say I can't wait to see you again but I believe for your daughter's sake, that you don't ever want that to happen."

Klaus left, not bothering to wait for a response and he flashed to the hotel. He hadn't even stepped foot into the suite when he was accosted by Caroline. It was easy enough to grab hold of her wrists and stop her from landing any of her punches. "I hate you," she seethed, the anger radiating off of her, her vampire features showing.

He was quite taken by those, the snarl of her lips as she hissed at him, blood pumping in her face and he felt his own fangs slide down in reaction to her. "That was quick," Kol commented from the couch. "Stefan and Rebekah appear to be out. I was going to go get a bite to eat, but I don't know. Staying in might be entirely more entertaining."

"I let him go," Klaus told her, ignoring Kol who tsked at that. Caroline looked up at him, eyes wide with disbelief and was that relief? He thought it might be.

"Going soft, Nik? How pathetically sad," his brother sighed, pushing up off the couch.

"Also threatened to leave his daughter on his porch if he takes a step toward you, but you can't blame me for a little insurance," Klaus continued, and Caroline wrenched her hands from his grip as Kol laughed.

"That's the spirit!" Kol clapped his shoulder as he walked past. "I will be getting that bite to eat. Want me to bring you back a snack? Or are you going to devour the tasty little blonde?"

"Leave," Klaus growled, glaring at his brother's mischievous smirk as he left the suite. Caroline was still seething, muttering under her breath and Klaus turned his attention back to her. "I let him go."

"And threatened his daughter!" she protested, looking at him as though he'd lost his mind if he thought that was a good option.

"I was not about to let him walk away after his threats," Klaus told her, crossing his arms as he watched her. "Ones that you know full well he could easily make good on. What would you have me do, Caroline? Let him go and wait around for the next stake to come at you from his hand? Surely you must know that now that we've have the information that we need from him that if he does that again I will not hesitate to kill him."

"Stop killing people to protect me," she yelled at him. "No one should die for me. Stop doing it."

"Would you have died for them? For Matt. For Jeremy? For this Steven?" Klaus asked, narrowing his eyes at her. He already knew the answer. Why else would she have constantly stepped into the distraction piece, never sure if she'd be walking away with her life?

"That's not the point!" she countered, crossing her arms as she glared at him.

"Oh, but it is," he replied, stepping toward her, paying little regard to her personal space. His hand moved to her hair, brushing through it, as he watched her swallow. "You would sacrifice yourself for any of them to live but you won't have them do the same for you." Klaus looked down at her, his smile not at all pleasant. "I wonder how little your own self-worth is."

"Go to hell," Caroline muttered, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Seems I've struck a chord," Klaus replied, knowing full well that he had done so. Her father had left, her mother had lost herself in her job, and her friends were always so busy with their own problems that when would they have time to worry about hers? Why hadn't a single one of them realized that repeatedly sending her into the lion's den hadn't been the smartest move? Didn't they realize she could have been swallowed whole?

He trailed his fingers down her throat, watching her breath hitch at the contact. "Don't worry, Caroline. I have every intention of showing you precisely how much you are worth."

"I'd rather be worth nothing than have you think I'm priceless," she bit out as she pulled away from him, and he grinned at her fury, at her words.

"Don't lie to yourself, sweetheart," Klaus told her, and walked past, heading for the fridge and pulling out some of the small bottles of alcohol inside. "Care to join me for a drink? I think we've earned it after that trying day."

H wasn't at all surprised when she turned away and stalked off to one of the rooms. "Would you rather champagne?" he called out, grinning as she slammed the door behind her. He heard the lock click into place and pursed his lips, unable to help his own amusement at the situation.

It hadn't exactly been a waste of a day, even if he would rather it ending in a more pleasant manner. They had gotten the information they needed.

_Amsterdam._

Not his favorite city, but Klaus figured it would do quite well as a first stop for showing Caroline the world and all that he truly had to offer her. Not to mention going there would make them one step closer to finding Sanai and her coven and stopping Silas' rise. Something that was just not allowed to happen.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I was going to update tomorrow but I feel like some people could use an update today, so here you go! I hope it helps some with all the crazy of today. **

**Big thanks to my lovely beta Miranda for looking this over and helping it along. I hope you all enjoy. Thanks so much for reading.**

* * *

_**"you're like death, you take everything."-Milan Kundera**_

* * *

Under different circumstances maybe Caroline would have allowed herself to enjoy being on an _airplane_. Something she had wanted to do since she had heard about Elena's adventure on one to visit some distant cousin back when they were five and hanging upside down on the playground. It hadn't been jealousy back then, just an easygoing amazement at everything her friend had been telling her about the experience. Even if Elena had gotten sick with the motion of the plane and complained that the lines were long and the ride was boring. Aside from the new pack of crayons and pin of the jet that she wore proudly for an entire week after Christmas break.

Okay maybe there had been a _little_ jealousy but it was natural to feel that way when Caroline's own break had consisted of going to her grandmother's house again and trying to pretend she didn't hear all of the nasty things said by her grandparents about her parents. Did they really think she hadn't heard their harsh words or seen their disapproving looks, even if they did smile brightly when they saw tiny her, giving her extra helpings of sweets and ignoring her mother's complaints about that.

Maybe if her father's promise of taking her with him on one of his travels had ever come true she would have already been on a plane once. Nothing compared to the private jet they were currently crossing the Atlantic Ocean in, but it would have been a step in the right direction. She wouldn't feel the need to slide her hand across every inch of the interior now, want to inspect everything, or look around with wide eyes as she took everything in.

She was Caroline Forbes though, and control was practically her middle name, so she didn't do any of those things. Instead she sat down on the first chair available as the group piled into the expansive plane, and buckled herself in. She put the headphones she found on the arm rest over her ears and fiddled with the dials until music she enjoyed started playing, steadfastly ignoring everyone else on the plane.

_Especially_ Klaus.

It didn't matter that he had sat down across from her. Nor was she curious at all about what he was drawing in that new sketchpad of his. She was still highly annoyed with him and what he had seen to be the best course of action with Steven. She wasn't going to look at him, much less talk to him.

Caroline knew that Stefan was trying to get her attention, had wanted her to sit further back on one of the couches with her so that they could talk, but she didn't feel like it. Didn't want to have a whispered conversation that they both knew the others could hear, didn't want the false promises that they'd get out of whatever the hell they were even really involved in. Which, really, Caroline knew they couldn't, that she wasn't about to just walk away from all that was happening.

She didn't want Silas to rise either. The idea of what the world would be like if that happened wasn't at all appealing to her, especially because her mother's life would be even more in danger than it usually was and that was something she really couldn't tolerate. She'd do what she needed to keep her mother safe, to try and protect her friends. She just wished she didn't have to be on Klaus' team for that to happen.

More than anything she wished he'd get over his little obsession with her, that he'd stop this pretense of trying to protect her, of wanting her safe and killing people to do that. Or threatening them with circumstances worse than death. It made her feel vulnerable, out of control, and she didn't like it one bit. Unfortunately she was currently at a loss on how to snap him out of it.

Plus…there was that niggling part in the back of her head, that one that tried to constantly remind her that she _did_ like the attention. That it was nice to be put first for what seemed like the first time in _so long_. But this wasn't supposed to be how that went. Being put first wasn't supposed to equal people she loved dying for her or even people she didn't know dying for her. It was just supposed to be…she wasn't even sure anymore. Picking spending time with her over hanging out with the guys just seemed far too simple and so far from what her life had become anyway. All she knew was the killing others options was not one she liked. At all.

"You actually enjoy that rubbish?" Kol dropped down onto the empty seat beside her, tugging on one side of her headphones. She glared at him, trying to shift away and even swatted at his hand. He grinned but didn't release his hold, snapping the headphones and making them useless. "I prefer the new music that's nothing but a constant strumming of beats. Really gets the blood pumping in the clubs. Makes feeding infinitely easier."

"I'd have thought you'd want the challenge," Caroline replied, dropping the broken headphones into her lap.

"No no. I like driving them mad, making them think they've lost their minds before I kill them. Nik is the one who's all about challenges," Kol informed her, glancing over at his brother.

Caroline rolled her eyes, but could see Klaus' reflection in the window and noted that he didn't even bother to look up from the pad. "Who was that last one?" Kol continued, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "She was a pretty little thing, not as gorgeous as you of course." He cocked his head toward Caroline, flashing his teeth at her.

"Of course," she drawled, trying to show precisely how bored she was by the topic of conversation.

"Red head if I recall correctly." Kol shrugged. "It was a hundred plus years ago. I may be a little fuzzy on that part. Mayor's daughter and engaged to be married. Klaus wooed her, killed the beau—which honestly better off for all, he was a dullard—and then when he was tired of her…what did you end up doing to that one?"

"Rebekah ripped her heart out," Klaus replied, still not looking up from the pad.

"Well, she was _annoying_ and kept trying to come around the house after Nik had his fill," Rebekah piped up from behind them. "To be fair, I think she'd lost her mind by then, but it was still rather dull having to chase her home every night so I disposed of the problem. At least it was a quick death instead of being locked up in the sanitarium like her father was considering. Still better than what you did to that servant of hers."

"Which one?" Kol asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Caroline looked down at her nails, noticing one of them had chipped.

"The one you convinced that her family was out to kill her so you got her to murder them all and then screwed her when she was done," Rebekah murmured before turning her attention back to the movie. "I believe she drowned herself in the bayou."

"Oh right. She was quite a bit of fun for a few months." Kol looked over at Caroline, still smiling, though she noted he did keep glancing over at Klaus. No doubt wanting to get a rise out of his brother. That seemed to be his favorite pastime.

"You're looking a little pale, Caroline," Kol commented and Caroline rolled her eyes at him.

"_Vampire_. I'm always pale." She rose from the seat. "Were you expecting to scare me? To freak me out. Like I don't already have a clue what any of you are capable of doing?" She doubted that she even knew the surface of what they might have done in their thousand years, but she wasn't naive. She knew killing was an amusement to them. "I'm going to bed." She walked past them to the back area. While there was no door at least the double bed was situated so she wouldn't be able to see them as she laid down on it, intent on sleeping.

She had barely laid her head down when Rebekah let out a loud screech, followed by Kol, "Bloody hell, Nik! I was only having a little fun."

"Next time I won't miss," she could hear Klaus threaten, even though his voice was surprisingly soft. That only seemed to spark a more heated debate between the siblings and Caroline sighed, knowing there wouldn't be any way to drown them out.

The bed shifted under her and Caroline twisted, ready to shout at whomever it was to get the hell out when she saw Stefan. He looked about as exhausted as she felt and she scooted over some so he could lie down as well. Caroline turned back toward the window, staring out at the clouds, knowing that sleep wouldn't be coming to her, and thankful that Stefan didn't try to ask any questions or offer reassurances. Just rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze as the siblings no doubt threw things while yelling at one another in the background.

The moment of respite was broken not long after it had begun. Caroline didn't even have to turn to know who'd entered the area, sensing Klaus' presence before he even spoke. She wondered if it was a blood thing, ever since she'd drank from him that one time a few months back she always seemed to be able to sense when he was near.

"Run along, Stefan," Klaus bit out, and she could hear the hardness in his voice, the annoyance that the other vampire was with her. "Caroline and I need to have a little chat."

"I'll be able to hear your chat even if I leave the room so I think I'll stay," Stefan replied, giving her another reassuring squeeze even as he shifted on the bed. Caroline turned, noting the narrowing of the Hybrid's eyes, the room seeming to chill around her at the look he was directing at her friend.

"It wasn't a request," Klaus continued, clearly ready to move him.

"Its fine, Stefan," she murmured, nudging at him to leave. She didn't really think Klaus would kill Stefan but she doubted her friend wanted to deal with a snapped neck, plus she wasn't one hundred percent certain that he wouldn't.

Stefan hesitated for a moment before heading out of the room and leaving the two of them alone. She didn't really want to be alone with Klaus, especially not while she was laying down in a bed so she sat up, rolling her eyes as she heard Rebekah's snappy comment to Stefan about white knights or whatever she was going on about. That girl really needed new material.

"So chat," Caroline told Klaus, pushing hair out of her face. "Cause that's why you're here, disturbing my rest, right?"

"What do you know of your father's travels? Did he ever mention places he might have gone? Or monuments that he might have seen?" Klaus asked as he sat down on the bed. She shifted away from him, bringing the blanket up around her as an extra barrier.

"Not too much. I got postcards sometimes from him or little trinkets." That she'd put away in a memory box. One that she would take out some nights and look through, thinking of him and all of the places she wanted to visit. "I know Cairo was on one. Somewhere in Italy. Not a big name place though. Some place in the Netherlands. Not Amsterdam."

She didn't need to inquire as to why he wanted to know. No doubt the places her father had been might have information as to what he'd been doing, maybe even links to the coven they were looking for in case Steven's information was a little too outdated. Though ten year old information might not reveal much either but it'd be something to try if needed.

"Write it all down. Every place you can think of," Klaus told her, placing a journal beside her.

"It'd be easier if I could call my mom when we land. She can look through all of the things I saved and we'll have actual names." Caroline looked at the journal, noting the blue leather-bound cover with the silk thread that wrapped around it to keep it closed.

"You're free to talk to your mother whenever you'd like, Caroline." Klaus tilted his head. "Not at the moment because of aviation regulations but once we land feel free to do so. We'll get you a new phone."

She didn't like the fact that he was saying he'd do that. Where was the keeping her from speaking to the others? What was with this acquiescing to her needs? It threw her for a loop this constant back and forth they seemed to have, never quite certain what his response would be to any given situation. Though, she was noticing that more often than not things did seem to go her way.

"Our new passports will be ready when we land and after making sure the house is suitable we can tour the city and get whatever else you might need while we're in Amsterdam," Klaus told her, and Caroline frowned, not liking that it was all sounding more like a vacation than a mission to find witches. "Kol will be out doing his witch hunt. Its best we let him speak to them first. My reputation with witches will do us more harm than good." And considering they needed the witches alive, his usual tactics might not work. Nor did he plan on seducing any of them.

"Anything else?" Caroline asked, placing the journal back down. She really wanted the conversation to be over.

Klaus dropped a blood bag on her lap. "Eat. You didn't before we left Arlington and it may be a few days before we acquire more once we land. Wouldn't want to have any slip ups, would we?"

From the way he said it, she wasn't sure if he wouldn't like her having a slip up or not but she wasn't about to let that happen. She tore into the bag, quickly sucking it down before shoving it back at him. "Happy?"

He reached out, nearly touching her face, but she shifted out of his reach, wiping the blood from her mouth. He was not allowed to touch her, not like that, not in such an intimate gesture. Not with that slightly feral look to his eyes at the sight of blood on her skin. Caroline ran her tongue along her teeth, her fangs yearning for release and she took a breath to help stave of the urge.

"What do you think of the plane?" Klaus asked, and she didn't like the way he watched her, how his attention was fully on her, not once deviating. Even as they heard another spat beginning between his siblings. He was always doing that. Ever since he'd come to her bedroom on her birthday. Once she had his attention it was as if he couldn't look away from her, wouldn't do so unless she slipped away, and even then he still seemed to creep back up, finding her again.

It unnerved her. And maybe, just maybe, some small part of her was captivated by that ability and how he seemed to use it solely on her. But Caroline wasn't stupid. She'd been burned before and she wasn't about to let some thousand year old Hybrid who had probably played the game for far too long do it to her again.

She shrugged, picking at her nail polish. "It's nice I guess." It was _amazing _but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"It's your first time on a plane, is it not?" She only shrugged in response again, forcing herself not to look around or touch the blanket that was nicer than what she had in her own room back home. "First time out of the country. Quite a bit of firsts for you right now and all you can say is 'It's nice', Caroline?" She didn't respond to him, unwilling to give him any satisfaction by answering his question. "You are the only one you punish by not allowing yourself to enjoy any of it."

"Why so concerned if it's only punishing me?" Caroline replied, still not looking at him, finding her nails to be very fascinating.

"Kol! You cannot eat the flight attendant!" Rebekah shouted, and Caroline glanced toward the doorway to the other area, not at all surprised when Klaus rose. No doubt ready to deal with Kol.

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying some of the finer things in life," Klaus told her, dropping another bag into her lap. "Even if they do come from monsters."

She glared at his retreating back. _Yes, there is_. Because enjoying it was a betrayal to her friends, to her mom, _to Tyler_ and she wasn't about to let some nice blankets or an amazing jet skew her mindset on right and wrong. She wasn't that easily swayed. No matter how nice everything was or how it similar it all was to some of her biggest fantasies.

* * *

Valerie watched the girl work through the spell, calling on the elements around her as she tried to tap into them to boost her power. Of course, dear little Bonnie Bennett didn't realize what she was truly tapping into just yet, didn't quite understand all that was needed of her to harness expression to its fullest. It was magic based on one's own will, drawing from the inner magic that any witch had and eventually it could burn out a witch if they didn't use it correctly, if there wasn't someone to help cultivate it along correctly as Shane had been doing. Or if they weren't given energy to tap into as Valerie had been doing with the others in the area, easily sacrificing the lives of some in order to harvest that power.

Of course, Bonnie had unknowingly done it herself a few times. The expression reaching out and taking what it needed from those around, allowing her to utilize that power. However, Valerie had a feeling the girl wasn't quite ready yet to knowingly do that again. From what she had gathered, the men at the construction site had been an accident and only because she was trying to bring back Shane. Killing for an amplification of power to complete other spells was an entirely different matter and one Valerie didn't quite want to push for just yet. Not with the chance of Bonnie trying to run.

"A simple location spell, Bonnie. I wouldn't think it should take you this long to do," Valerie commented, gently pushing her to hurry up, to concentrate harder. She looked over at the members inside, nodding once and felt the spike of energy in the air as no doubt at least one of those inside was killed.

The witches in her coven knew what they had signed up for, that they were likely to die if needed. They also knew they would come back, as would that person who's loss had torn such a hole in their heart that they were willing to be sacrificed. Those in it purely for power such as she had been brought in to help with the actual killing. They had nothing against taking the life when in the end it would only gain them more power.

Bonnie's eyes opened the color in them gone and replaced by a striking white, her entire body going rigid for a moment and Valerie smiled. She remembered when expression had done the same to her, but back then she had only had one complete sacrifice completed for her. The expanse of power she'd received had been nearly overwhelming and addicting, losing its edge far sooner than she had hoped and she'd learned quickly that killing on her own didn't give quite the boost she had gotten used to.

"Draw on what I told you, seek out the signature," Valerie continued, circling the girl as she looked down at the blank paper, waiting for the map to appear. "You've felt it before with that former hunter that you knew. Find it again."

Bonnie's body twitched, arm rising above the paper and Valerie grinned as ink appeared on it, drawing out a map of where they needed to be. She already knew the state and the town from her other sources, but she needed a better location than that in order to find the potential.

Bonnie collapsed forward as the map finished, gasping for air and when she looked back up again, Valerie noted that her eyes were their normal shade. "What happened?" she asked, pushing back and looking down at the paper with wide eyes. "I did that?"

Valerie sat down beside her in the grass, internally reminding herself to be gentle, that the girl seemed to respond to praise. "You did excellent, tapping into your own abilities to locate the new potential," she assured Bonnie, remembering using this kind of coaxing tone on her own daughter before their fallout.

Bonnie frowned, glancing down at the paper that indeed had a college map on it. "He's already activated," she told her, unsure exactly how she knew that. It felt like Jeremy's presence did to her after he had become a Hunter. That slight difference to him than what he had been before he had ever seen that mark on his arm. She couldn't really explain it; just that there was a pull there for her, one that she didn't understand but was unique. Something she had only gotten from him and from the other Hunter before he'd died.

"That certainly makes our job infinitely easier," Valerie commented, rising up and collecting the paper. She offered Bonnie a hand. "You should eat. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us and you'll need your strength."

Sacrifing a member or two wouldn't be as easy on the road. It would be easier for Bonnie to notice if the group suddenly went from five to three whether by their actions or her own accidental ones. With how big the Coven was and the comings and goings of members, it was easier to get away with it. And Valerie couldn't chance losing the girl, not when the Bennett witch was needed in order to free Silas and drop the Veil. Not when she was the key to everlasting power.

"Your grandmother would be very proud of you," Valerie continued, smiling gently as Bonnie looked at her.

"You knew my Grams?" There was a tightening in Bonnie's chest at the mere thought of the woman. She missed her more than anything, especially because she couldn't feel her any longer. Not since the spirits had punished her.

"You didn't think Shane was the only one who did, did you?" Valerie asked, motioning toward the house. "She was quite well known among the witches of the east coast of the US." And they had never been friends, nor had Sheila ever liked her or trusted her, but that wasn't something she feared Bonnie ever knowing. The woman was dead and dead men told no tales. Especially banished spirits. "I'll tell you about our first meeting while you eat." Or at least the watered down version.

"I'd like that," Bonnie smiled, heading on in and Valerie followed, pleased.

A little bonding would be good for them. She did need Bonnie to trust her and preferably only her.

* * *

If anyone might have an idea on how to locate Caroline who was currently with the Originals, Liz figured it was Bill's former boyfriend. Steven and she had never been on the best terms, often finding his methods to be a little extreme—not to mention the fact that the man she had loved with all of her heart had chosen him in the end—but he was good at what he did. And tracking down vampires was something that he had always been pretty darn good at.

Funny how he hadn't tracked any of them to Mystic Falls, though the vampire population had only really spiked again in the last two years. Before that, no member of the current Council had seen one. Though apparently that wasn't entirely true considering at least Damon had been around town over the last decade or two. It seemed all of the families had their own share of secrets. From the Lockwoods with their werewolf gene to Meredith Fell experimenting with vampire blood. Who knew how many more there were considering everything she had grown up learning wasn't exactly true.

But she figured Steven could at least set her on the right path. Tracking mobile devices wouldn't work because Caroline and Stefan's phones were both broken and while she had traced where Caroline made the call from in New Orleans and had her daughter confirm that herself that had been days ago and Liz knew in her heart that her daughter wasn't there any longer. Tracking spikes in deaths similar to vampire victims only opened too many possibilities and she couldn't help but wonder exactly how many vampires were out in the world.

Facial recognition software to footage in every airport in the states was far out of her league and she considering the Originals could always compel someone to erase it wasn't exactly reliable. Waiting around for Caroline to call again wasn't an option either, though Liz kept her cell charged in hope that her daughter would contact her.

She pulled up in front of the townhome, taking a deep breath before getting out of the car. There was no love lost between her and Steven but she'd put aside whatever discord she had with him if it meant finding Caroline. For once she was making her daughter her priority, not Mystic Falls. She'd already lost her once and not even known it for months afterward that her daughter had _died_ and returned as a vampire. She wasn't about to lose her again.

Liz knocked on the door, surprised when it opened and she was immediately splashed with water. "Is there a reason for the unneeded shower?" she asked, glaring at Steven who put down the empty cup.

"Vervain. So you're not a vampire," he replied, turning and walking away, though he did leave the door open.

Liz followed after him and closed the door behind her. She wasn't surprised by the paranoia, though once she spotted the excess amount of weapons to use on a vampire littered on nearly every surface as she entered, she had a feeling Steven had gone a bit overboard. "I have to say I'm not a big fan of your new redecorating scheme."

"I'm not a fan of being threatened by an Original toting around someone I used to care about," Steven muttered, setting down the cup as he sat down on one of the chairs.

"Caroline was here?" Had she just missed her? Had he…no, if Caroline was dead…she would know. Wouldn't she? Even if she hadn't the last time?

"You should have put her out of her misery once you knew, Liz," Steven sighed, leaning forward and motioning for her to sit down. "She's not your little girl any longer."

"Yes, she is." She hadn't thought so at first either. But Caroline was still her little girl. Stronger than before, more confident, but still had that need for control even if she did drink blood. "She's the same girl you've known for the last ten years."

Steven shook his head as he leaned back. "I'm not here to debate that," Liz continued. There was little point in trying and she didn't want to waste the time she could be using to locate her daughter. "I want to find her. She didn't go willingly with them, the Original you talked about. Help me find her."

Steven shook his head again and crossed his arms. "If that one thinks I'm doing anything to hurt her he'll get Krissy killed. Can't risk it."

"Helping me locate Caroline isn't hurting her," Liz protested and rose from the chair.

"You sure he won't think that? Because I'm not taking that kind of risk." Not when his daughter was involved. "Besides, there's a far bigger problem than trying to find Caroline."

Liz spotted the photograph on the mantel, one of Steven, Bill and the girls from about two years ago. Big smiles on all of their faces. At one point she might have been fooled by it, seeing the large grin should have equaled happiness from Caroline. But she saw the loneliness captured in her daughter's eyes and knew it had all been a facade. Caroline might have loved her father, Steven and Krissy, but she hadn't been happy with how things had turned out for her family.

"All I care about is finding my daughter, Steven," she turned to look back at him. "I'm sure you can understand that."

"Even with the potential end of the world?" he asked, not moving from his spot but watching her carefully.

"Yes." Too often she had put something else in front of Caroline and if the end of the world was coming, Liz would be damned if she wasn't with her daughter when it happened.

"Amsterdam. They were heading that way," Steven told her as he picked up a long piece of wood and started sharpening the end of it.

Liz nodded and started for the door, stopping when he spoke again. "If she really is still in there, get her the hell away from them. I've seen vampires before, Liz, and nothing is as evil as the two she was with. And they're going to get put in their place. So if you want her to live make sure she is far away from them as possible when everything eventually happens."

She almost turned back, almost inquired as to what all was going to happen, but Liz knew if she did that she might not leave. That her focus might shift from her daughter to the bigger picture and for once she was going selfish. She was going to be a mom and not a Sheriff, not a member of the Council. Today she was just a mom, and she was going to find her little girl and protect like she hadn't been able to for the last year.

* * *

Katherine turned over in the bed, unsurprised to find the space next to her empty. She'd heard Elijah leave earlier, the car driving off into the distance, no doubt dealing with whatever business he had in town. There were sure to be murmurs in the small Italian town with the house suddenly being in use again after nearly one hundred years of silence in its walls. This accounted for the dust that had accumulated on anything that hadn't been covered with fabric the last time there had been anyone inside. People liked to gossip and over the years Katherine had found that small towns had more people prone to chit chat per capita than larger cities.

Maybe it was the lack of anything out of the routine, allowing for something new and exciting to talk about for a while. Speculation would run rampant and depending on superstitions in the area that could either be good or bad for them. Unlike some of the larger, more populated towns, the smaller ones—especially in Europe—tended to take their town's superstitions very seriously. She was sure Elijah could handle it all though, he had been doing it far longer than she had.

Katherine stretched out under the sheets, letting them twist around her body as she listened to the world around her. Or at least as far as the gates in the distance. It was an old habit; one she didn't think would ever go away after five hundred years of running. She always needed to be alert, to have an exit strategy in the back of her mind, even if Klaus was an entire ocean away from her.

Pity the Mystic Falls' gang's idea hadn't gone through. It had been a decent one and having Klaus desiccated and in some ocean would have been a wonderful outcome. Unfortunately not many witches would do that spell because of the requirements and those powerful enough to do it rarely wanted much to do with her or the Originals. Not that she'd stop looking into it, but there were more pressing matters to concern herself with, such as did she get out of bed or wait for Elijah to return for another round?

The ringing of her cell broke her train of thought and she rolled over, reaching for it and wondering who would be calling. Not many had the number, especially when she changed it as often as she did, only doling it out to those she wanted to be able to contact her and that list was rather short. She arched a brow at the number on the screen and hit answer, pressing the phone to her ear.

"I take it that you have something of interest for me this time." Katherine stood up, not bothering with the sheet as she moved to stand in front of the window, gazing out at the expanse of land.

"They all left," April Young answered on the other end of the line. "They're all just gone."

"What do you mean they all left?" Katherine couldn't see anyone in that annoying little gang up and leaving Mystic Falls unless something was happening. And whatever it was would have to be fairly big for the Salvatore brothers to get Elena out of town.

"Like I said they're not here. Damon, Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie. Even the Originals. The ones who were here. All of them are gone," April told her. "The Sheriff too. She left this morning. I saw her drive out of town and she hasn't come back."

"And where did all of them go, April? And what about the other two?" Not that she considered Matt or Jeremy to be all that important but it was interesting that they weren't being mentioned. Katherine wanted to know why Elena would leave her brother behind.

"I don't know where Matt or Jeremy are. I didn't see any of them leave like I did with the others or heard about the others. They won't answer their phones." The girl sounded worried about that and Katherine rolled her eyes, waiting for her to get to the important question and answer it. "Rebekah told me she was going to New Orleans to see her brothers because of a cure. Caroline is with them and so is Stefan. I don't know about any of the others. Elena just peeled out of town the other day. Bonnie has been missing from school and Damon left too."

"Cure?" It couldn't be what Katherine was thinking of, that was just a myth. One that never had anything substantial backing it up like other myths did. All the talk of the cure did was give false hope to those who couldn't handle what they had become and didn't want a stake through the heart.

"For vampirism," April told her, and Katherine whirled around, taking that in, trying to comprehend what she had been told. Interesting that Rebekah believed it. Perhaps there was more to the story than she thought.

"Tell me _everything_ that Rebekah told you. Do not leave out a single detail," Katherine instructed, pleased she'd compelled the girl before she had returned to Mystic Falls. It had been chance running across her, amused when the girl called her Elena and had thought she might be semi-useful for gathering information, but this was going much better than she had foreseen.

Thirty minutes later and Katherine had heard every single thing Rebekah had ever said to April, and while parts of it had been difficult to sit through as she waited for something meaningful, the details at the end had been enough to spike her interest. A cure for vampirism. Wouldn't that be a handy little weapon or a bargaining chip?

She heard the car pulling back into the drive and knew that Elijah had returned. Katherine placed her phone back on the nightstand and lay back down, haphazardly situating the sheet over her body. "Are you planning on wasting your day away in bed?" Elijah asked as he entered the room, and she grinned as his gaze raked appreciatively over her body.

"Not much of a waste if you're joining me," she pointed out, sitting up and reaching over to touch his tie. She pulled him down by it as he kissed her, letting herself fall back onto the bed as she tried to focus on the man in front of her instead of her plans on the cure and how to successfully secure her freedom.

And it would ensure Elijah's as well. They would no longer need to hide, to fear his brother catching the two of them or ruining what they had together. So really, she was doing it for him. She just needed to figure out a way to get Elijah on board with whatever plan she did come up with. Though considering how eagerly he was removing his suit maybe it wouldn't be too hard. If she could get him past that blasted loyalty that family all seemed to have for one another.

She at least had to try.

* * *

There were times when Klaus could be a very patient man. When he was painting and lost in the canvas, or when seeing the roots of a plan digging into place as he waited for the seedling to grow. But there were also times when his patience ran out, when he was impulsive and this was quickly becoming one of those moments. He had tried to get her to leave the canal house after Kol had gone to find the witches. Talked up the different parts of Amsterdam, promised some shopping and that phone so she could call her mother, and each idea was rebuked. Her stony expression as she politely declined his offers before retreating to the room she had chosen was seared into his head and wouldn't go away.

He needed it to go away, needed to rip it out of his mind and tear it to shreds.

How was it possible that she could look at him so simply and strike him down faster than his parents had done? How could she bring out insecurities he had long since buried deep in the wasteland of his mind, not giving credence to them in nearly a thousand years, with her sharp tongue or that damn disappointed look?

Klaus hated it and he left the canal house in a fury, ignoring Rebekah's calls. He'd nearly stopped to take Stefan with him, wondering if his one-time friend was still on vervain. It'd be so simple to get his companion back and tear up the town, but he heard Caroline up above, moving about the room and he could almost see her eyes watching him, portraying her disappointment in his actions.

He left, heading through the snow covered streets. He wanted to leave a swash of red over them, drenching the beauty that was before him as the moon shone brightly overhead. There were not many out because of the drop in temperature and those who were tended to stick in groups, heading out for entertainment or home after work. Klaus walked, waiting for an easy prey to show itself, knowing that all he needed to do was keep moving until he found one.

He could always head to the Red Light District if his current method took too long to satisfy his blood lust. There were always easy pickings there but he didn't want something that easy just yet.

Klaus stopped, spotting a woman heading down the steps of one of the canal houses, tugging her hood over her blonde locks as she moved. No one else followed her out and she met no one when she reached the sidewalk, quickly heading off to walk on her own. He grinned, heading off toward her, wondering how precisely he wanted to do this, what method would end in the most gratification for him.

She steered down a small side street and Klaus' grin deepened as he realized there was no one else in the near distance. He didn't hesitate, stepping around the corner and then flashing right at the girl, slamming her against the wall. Green eyes met his, widening in horror as he pressed his hand against her mouth. "You're going to be quiet, love, and only answer when I ask you a question. Don't speak otherwise and do whatever I say," Klaus compelled in perfect Dutch, patting her cheek as she repeated the words. "Where are you off to?"

"A friend's dinner party," she replied, tears already welling up in her eyes.

There would be none of that. "Don't cry," he commanded, stepping back from her. "And don't run. How many at this party?"

"Five, including me," she told him, body still trembling as she looked around. Her body couldn't move though, couldn't run from the monster she sensed him to be.

"Looks like it'll be six," Klaus told her, linking his arm with hers. "Show me where we're off to and once we arrive I'll need you to get me an invitation to come inside. And stop trembling. You're perfectly happy, content even to be with me."

The transformation was almost immediate, the woman's demeanor quickly shifting and becoming everything that he wanted. Of course he desired it from another blonde and without the use of compulsion, but this would do for now. Ten minutes later he was inside the house, smiling as he was greeted by the girl's friends. It was almost lovely except for the fact it was all a terrible ruse. Maybe another night he'd have played the charade for a while longer, but there was nothing to keep him from getting what he wanted from these humans.

Klaus didn't hesitate as the doors closed and the last guest arrived, quickly blocking the only means of escape and incapacitating those who tried to bolt from the dining room. He fed on all of them, draining four of them dry and leaving the pretty little blonde for last. She kept on smiling through it all, even as her friends were slaughtered around her. Red was splattered in her hair, on her cheek and he wiped it off, licking his fingers as he looked down at her. He missed the defiance he wanted to see, the harsh words that he wanted to hear spill out of her mouth. But this was only a meager substitute for what he truly desired.

He had thought of fucking her before he fed from her, against the table with all of her friends dead around them. The smell of blood and her arousal mingling together would be a lovely high, but that idea was quickly pushed aside because of her too happy demeanor. Biting into her wasn't as satisfying as he hoped, her life draining far more quickly than he wanted and he released her once he was done, letting her body fall to the ground beside the others. The dinner set out to be eaten had grown cold and Klaus looked down at the ham, poking it with a fork. Much too dry for his taste.

Perhaps he should have cared about clean up but walking out of the house with his coat buttoned up to hide any traces of blood, it was the furthest thing from his mind. Law enforcement would do the usual, deeming it a savage attack by some depraved human or if they were desperate perhaps an animal attack. Their minds would never go the vampire route and if they did it was never for long. After all, vampires weren't real to most of the world.

It was over an hour before Klaus returned to the house, hearing only Caroline upstairs. He discarded his jacket, wondering where Stefan and Rebekah had gone to and what Rebekah must have done to get the Salvatore to go with her when most likely he would have wanted to stay with Caroline. Klaus saw red at the thought, picturing the two of them on the plane, Stefan's hand on her shoulder as they lay in the bed, picture perfect couple.

He was in her room before he knew what he was doing, that defiant gaze as she looked at him having him on her in a second. Klaus had Caroline pressed to the wall, hand on her throat, not crushing but the threat that he could in seconds hanging there between them. She looked him over, no doubt seeing the spattering of blood on his shirt after his couple of feedings.

"You killed, didn't you?" Caroline asked, and he smiled at the judgment in her tone, not at all surprised by it.

"I could kill you in a heartbeat as well," Klaus murmured, fingers tightening just a little, not enough to hurt, but she would feel the difference in pressure.

She didn't tremble, didn't waver from her gaze locked with his. "If you wanted me dead you would done it by now."

That was the catch wasn't it? Because he could have killed her so many times by then. Had so many opportunities and reasons to over the last few months. He had killed for far less than what she had done to him, in the parts she had played in her friends' plans, in the way she spoke to him without regard to who he was. No one spoke to him the way she did and lived.

"You could have done a lot of things to me by now but you haven't," Caroline continued and he heard the confusion in her voice, the uncertainty as to why he hadn't done any of the various scenes that were no doubt playing out in her head.

Klaus didn't know himself why he hadn't. Oh he liked the challenge of not using compulsion to get what he wanted at times, but this little dance had gone on far longer than he liked and in other situations he would have used it, had her in his bed already, fucked her and disposed of her like so many others. But he couldn't, the thought of compelling her twisted him in ways he did not like, brought out emotions he didn't want to give name to and had long thought snuffed out inside of him. He wanted her willing, he wanted what she felt to be true, not fabricated because of his ability to shape her mind.

"Don't take the fact that I haven't done whatever scenario is running through your head at the moment to mean that I'm being inactive, sweetheart. I just deem that you're worth more than a little round of compulsion to enjoy what I have in store for you," Klaus told her, and his grip softened considerably, fingers stroking her neck instead.

Caroline hissed at him, and he'd noted that her eyes had narrowed when he spoke of her worth_. _Her insecurities were worn on her sleeve for anyone to see, reminding him for a moment of the boy he had been so long ago. But he'd been worth far more than his parents had ever deemed him to be and Klaus believed he could see the greatness that little Caroline Forbes had inside of her, that she deserved if only she would allow it. But god, she was stubborn, that fire in her eyes as she glared at him.

Klaus stepped back, dropping his hands as he looked her over. "We'll be going out tomorrow morning and no amount of your stubbornness will keep you inside this time, Caroline." He would drag her out and force her to endure the wonders of the city.

"I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work," she murmured as he turned to leave and he stopped at the doorway.

"And what nefarious deed do you think I'm up to this time?" Klaus asked, not bothering to look back at her.

"You think by showing me the world, by seeing it with you, that I'll choose you," she continued and Klaus smirked, looking back at her then.

"I didn't know I was an option," he informed her, enjoying the way her eyes widened at that and he headed out of the room. "I'll see you in the morning." He closed the door before she could answer, listening to her exhale and drop down onto her bed.

Klaus headed to his own room, still smiling as he listened to her mutter to herself, and moved to the en suite bathroom. Nice little revelation for the evening. He only hoped that his siblings didn't manage to create more trouble before they headed home. It wouldn't surprise him at all if they did.

* * *

Over a hundred years in a coffin and Kol wasn't as in touch with the new workings of covens as he used to be. Finding Zelda in New Orleans had been easy enough because she'd been an old friend and hadn't moved from her spot. Nandi had been child's play because of her connection to Zelda. Roaming about the United States for the last month or so had led him to some new witch communities, but all of those had happened by chance and not all of them had been exactly welcoming.

Biases against vampires was always going to run rampant. He blamed his siblings. They never did really seem to appreciate what the witches could do for them. Not like he did. But then none of them had shown quite the same aptitude to magic back in their human days as he had done as a child. Rebekah came close, but she preferred wielding a sword in secret and following on their target practice hunts in the woods than sitting around with their mother and learning her craft.

It had hurt to be cut off from nature so suddenly even if he had never practiced. It had always been a constant in his life and to have it severed so quickly had been unsettling. Maybe that was why he held witches in a higher regard or maybe it was the simple fact that he knew how valuable they could be, when not screwed with over the centuries. A coven could be a powerful advantage if it was truly loyal. But none of the others ever saw it that way, preferring to use this witch or that one until they bled them dry of their magic.

Whatever the case he coveted what they had and he meant to find someone who could lead him to Sanai and her Coven. Hopefully they were still in the area, but if not, he was certain he'd find someone who could direct him where to go next.

Most of the occult shops, offering up palm readings or healing crystals, were run by fakes or at least ones who didn't have an inch of any real magic at their disposal. Sometimes they could point out where to find someone with actual power but he had learned to check out the shops that sold different types of herbs. It was like a needle in a haystack in Amsterdam considering the drug laws, but eventually he found one with a pretty little owner who wore a necklace made of vervain. He'd know that particular plant anywhere.

From the way she looked at him as he entered, eyes narrowed as she looked back at her current customer, he knew she had an idea of what he was. Doubtful that she knew _who_ he was or just how powerful he could be. It seemed like news of the Original family being awake hadn't traveled quite as far as he had thought it would. Better for him really.

As soon as the other customer left the shop, Kol felt pain erupt in his head and he turned toward the brunette, fangs flashing as he looked at her. She was powerful; energy that he hadn't experienced in centuries, and he knew at once that she must have come from a powerful line.

"Your kind is not welcome in my shop," the woman bit out, bending her hand and making him fall to the ground. "You haven't done anything yet, but I don't think the world would really mourn the death of one more vampire."

Kol saw the stake in her hand then and grinned. Feisty. He appreciated that. "Won't do you much good. I'm an Original, darling. Only one thing can put me down for good." And she certainly didn't have access to it.

A flicker of recognition flashed in her eyes and that was interesting. Someone had been told their tales. The Original Family wasn't always talked about in some witch circles, thought to be a myth considering they had apparently been out of the limelight for so many decades. "Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded, not releasing her hold on his body and even twisted it again when he didn't respond right away.

"Kol Mikaelson. I'm looking for a witch named Sanai," he replied, watching the woman's features darken at that admission. The pain in his body increased dramatically. Seemed someone was a little protective of the other witch. "Silas is rising. I'm told she can help make sure he doesn't do that." There was hesitancy in the woman now. "So be a dear and stop with the power play."

"How do I know you won't kill me as soon as I let you go?" she asked, keeping her magical grip on him.

"You don't but the longer you do this the more likely I am to pay it back to you tenfold," Kol replied, watching as the woman stepped back. She began chanting a spell he didn't know and Kol watched, trying to fight against the hold she had but he couldn't break it.

Eventually she did release him and he stepped forward, bumping into an invisible wall. "It'll keep you in here for five hours. Enough time for me to get out of town and away from you."

Clever girl.

"If you really want to find Sanai for help I'll leave the address on the desk," the woman continued, scribbling away on a piece of paper before collecting her things. "She won't be there long. The Coven was due to move in a few days. Up to you if you want access to her or to kill me. I doubt you could do both at the same time."

Kol grinned, enjoying the shiver that ran down the woman's' spine. Seventy-thirty chance that he could do both. He'd had worse odds. Seemed he would have a few hours to decide what exactly to do. Pity he'd forgotten his cell at the house. Nik was going to have his head when he learned they could have known the location five hours earlier.

Ah well. What his brother didn't know wouldn't hurt him.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I am trying to come up with something witty but allergies are evil, _evil_ things and so my head is all loopy. But here's the next part. Big huge thanks to Miranda for betaing this monstrosity.**

**Thanks so much for reading everyone.**

* * *

"_**During the day, memories could be held at bay, but at night, dreams became the devil's own accomplices." **_**― Sharon Kay Penman**

* * *

Stefan hadn't liked leaving the house. Especially not after Klaus had practically stormed out, looking ready to kill someone, and no doubt that was what the Hybrid was doing. He worried about not being back in time for Klaus' return, leaving Caroline alone to deal with the volatile man. There was something about the way Klaus had been looking at her ever since their trip on the plane that didn't sit well with Stefan. Especially after he had only tried to offer comfort to his friend and received a deathly glare for doing so. That had been happening since he'd arrived with Rebekah in New Orleans, the Hybrid constantly working to get in between Caroline and anyone.

The possessiveness of Klaus' behavior had him worried for what Klaus might do if he was set off. It wasn't exactly a secret that the Hybrid could be quick to anger and when angered he could cause some real pain. Might even kill if that's what he wanted to do and Stefan didn't want Caroline's immortal life snuffed out so quickly because their little group had made a terrible choice in exploiting Klaus' interest in his friend.

The excuse that he hadn't been in his right mind when pushing for it at first didn't work for Stefan, knowing he'd kept it up afterward, when they had needed Klaus distracted so he could rescue Elena from the Mikaelson manor after the Hunter incident. He'd returned to Mystic Falls with Klaus, knowing what lengths that man would go to for what he wanted. They all knew how obsessed he could be with things—from breaking his curse, to punishing Katherine for what Klaus considered to be her betrayal. How had none of them thought through that egging along the interest Klaus seemed to have in Caroline was a _horrible _idea? As if the Hybrid would stop until he got what he wanted?

Unfortunately Rebekah Mikaelson could be extremely pushy when she wanted to be and Stefan knew she wouldn't give up on him heading out with her for a drink until he did it. He figured if they stayed out for an hour or two that would give him plenty of time to return to the house and make sure that Caroline was safe. Also he was curious as to _why_ Rebekah was so insistent, waiting until Klaus was gone to even bring up that she wanted to go out. She could have done so before Klaus left to carry out his rampage and her brother probably would have gotten all of them to go as well.

But Rebekah had waited nearly ten minutes until after Klaus had left and Stefan had a feeling she didn't want her brother knowing whatever was on her mind. Stefan couldn't really blame her; she had been daggered only a few weeks before for having her own opinions. Was it really any surprise that she was cautious around the guy?

"I'm pretty sure there were a number of bottles of alcohol back at the house, Rebekah, so why don't we cut to the chase about why we're here?" Stefan leaned back in the booth she had picked, looking across the table at her.

Rebekah glanced toward the door for a moment and Stefan had a feeling she was listening to the conversations around them as she briefly scrunched her nose, lips pressing together in concentration before looking back at him. "First, if I think you'll breathe a word of this conversation to my brother I will bleed out the vervain that you are on before we leave here and compel you to forget it."

There wasn't any coldness to her voice, she was simply stating facts, and Stefan nodded, wondering what could possibly have her so paranoid. "I know there is a big to do about the end of the world and the rest of it. With this Silas and the Other Side needing to stay up," she started, glancing back toward the exits before looking at him again. "But not once did they explain why we can't have the cure."

Stefan blinked, unsure if he should trust this. Was it a test in loyalty? Klaus did like those and he wouldn't put it past the Hybrid. He remembered what Rebekah had said before he had helped her get daggered. How she had wanted it once upon a time for a normal life. Like he wanted for Elena…and maybe for himself as well. A chance to live out a mortal life with a final ending, to maybe pursue that doctor career, to have a family. He couldn't help how nice it all sounded.

But Rebekah hadn't wanted Klaus to get it either, hadn't wanted to help her brother obtain anything so he needed to know her motives now.

"What do you want with the cure, Rebekah?" He really hoped it was the same reasoning as she'd had for Alexander though he couldn't figure out why he wanted it to be that way. As long as it wasn't to piss off her brother.

"I think we should stop referring to it by name for one," she muttered, her body tensing. "After all, the Coven is supposed to be here in this city and we have no idea who they are. Or who any of these people are." Any of them could overhear and most would probably ignore it, chalk it up to something ordinary. But what if someone who knew something about it overheard? Then they might have a problem on their hands.

Stefan nodded. "Okay, still, why do you want it?" He needed to hear her say it again.

Rebekah looked down for a moment, touching the glass in front of her, fingers wiping at the condensation. "I don't want to follow my brother around for another thousand years." Truth was she didn't want to do it for another year let alone that long. "I don't want to miss decades, centuries because he doesn't like a decision I make. I want a chance. The one that my parents stole from me."

For her own life, her own family. To live out of the shadow of her siblings. To grow old with someone else and have a love that was her own. Surely Klaus wouldn't kill this one as it'd be the only one she would have. And of course she could always flee after getting the cure and hide away in some country, live out her life, and only contact her brothers once her time was almost up. Something like that. She hadn't quite worked out the logistics of it all.

Stefan stared at her. Not that he didn't believe her, but it was hard to fathom that was what she wanted. Though, considering he'd lived for significantly less time and wanted a chance at a human life, he supposed it wasn't that surprising that Rebekah would as well. He really wasn't sure that any of her brothers would allow that for her either. _Especially_ Klaus.

"And you want it for Elena, don't you?" Rebekah continued, staring at him. "So she turns back into the girl who might love you." The contempt in her voice at that part had him directing a look at her. "It seems to be the doppelgangers lot in life to try and come between brothers. Tatia did it to Nik and Elijah. Then Katherine did as well, though in a very different way. I suppose she also did it with you and Damon. And now Elena with you and your brother."

She picked up the glass, offering him a sardonic smile before taking a drink. "You're going about this in really shitty way if you want my help, Rebekah," Stefan told her with a grimace. It was true though. He did want it for Elena. She hadn't ever wanted to become a vampire, hadn't she repeatedly told them that? So he just wanted to give her the chance of a normal life, so she never had to deal with the guilt of killing someone. And he wanted to break the sire bond. What happened after that was anyone's guess.

Rebekah simply shrugged. "The problem you're going to face, aside from my brothers wanting to make sure no one gets their hands on it, is that if Elena does take it and becomes human again…" She paused, arching a brow at him.

"Her being a blood donor factory becomes a problem." And what was the point of living a human life if it was to be nothing but a donor factory for Klaus? Didn't seem like that sweet of a deal.

"I'm sure there are witches who are powerful enough to hide her presence. I'd suggest Bonnie but she seemed to be a bit out of sorts the last I saw her." Rebekah set down her drink, watching him carefully. "But I want this and I think you do too. Better chances if I'm not trying to get it on my own."

"You mean it'll be nice to have a scapegoat if everything goes wrong?" Stefan arched a brow at her, wondering where the girl he'd known in the twenties had gone. Though perhaps this was still Rebekah. Not really all that changed, just not quite as in love with him as she once had been. If only…no, he wasn't going to play that game. That was so very far in his past even if it hadn't been that long ago for her. He wasn't the same person he had been and he had no intentions of going back to it.

"I suppose it'd be in your interest for nothing to go wrong?" She flashed him a smile and Stefan shook his head, reminded of when they had first met.

It couldn't hurt to have a partner in this, especially because she was right, Klaus and Kol did seem to be pretty adamant about not getting the cure anymore. Stefan couldn't help that it was something he was going to try for, even with all the risks. He owed it to Elena, didn't he? Maybe even to himself.

Stefan picked up his glass and held it out, clinking it with hers and reciprocated her smile. He'd need to watch his back and look out for Caroline, make sure she didn't get mixed up in this part of all that was happening. Shouldn't be too difficult. It wasn't really his first time being involved in multiple plans.

He was used to making deals with devils.

* * *

Klaus could go for days, even weeks sometimes, without sleep. When he and his siblings had first turned, it hadn't been like that. Sleep had still been part of their routine until the forced fleeing, leaving behind a dead mother, and getting away from their murderous father. It was a time he rarely chose to look back on, compartmentalizing it away to the far reaches of his mind and burying it where it belonged. Vampires didn't need sleep like humans did, but recently turned vampires slept more regularly than he or his siblings did.

A thousand years roaming the earth had its advantages aside from increasing their strength and other abilities and the decrease in need for rest at night was one of them. But after the last week or so, ever since the slaughter of his hybrids, he hadn't had much time for rest, his body and mind usually constantly on the go. And after the events of the evening and the conversation with Caroline, sleep was something he welcomed.

He had planned on letting his mind wander to the blonde he would have preferred spending an evening with, the pleasures and heights he wanted to show stubborn little Caroline Forbes that he was constantly being denied.

Unfortunately fate seemed to have other plans for him.

Klaus knew what it was like to take over someone else's dream, to pluck through their head and twist what was happening to his own design. He'd done it thousands of times before. Sometimes to orchestrate something that he wanted to happen, others to torment a mind until it would break to his liking, as well as simply to play with how he could manipulate another's thoughts and desires. When one didn't sleep and was privy to hundreds of minds inside of a manor wall, it was an easy way to pass the boredom of night to night life. Kol and he had made a game of it before, see which of them could get the person to wake up screaming in terror first.

He felt the push, the twist in the design and sought out who was doing it. All vampires had the ability to get into another's head, but being able to get into his or his siblings would take a great amount of skill. The fact he couldn't force out whoever was doing it was cause for some alarm, though Klaus refused to show any panic, confident he'd get the interloper out before any harm was done.

Not to mention he was curious as to the motive and needed to know _who_ was behind it so he could make them pay for even trying to mess with his head.

There were no images being twisted though, nothing at all around him. No ounce of light and he couldn't even make out his own hands with how dark it was. The coldness that swept through him was startling, something he hadn't felt since he was human and huddling in the huts with his siblings in the winter. But even this was far harsher, no warmth provided at all. Nothingness seemed to surround him, trying to strip him of any and all hope, but he'd experienced life without hope before. Endured the Hunter's Curse for more years than he cared to remember, so for Klaus it did nothing.

He would have laughed if he'd been able.

Whoever was trying to manipulate him seemed to sense that and the landscape shifted, showing a house he did not know but there was Kol, fighting off someone with the Hunter's mark, trying to chop off the man's arm before getting the White Oak stake shoved into his chest. Klaus watched as his little brother burst into flames, dying while he was cemented in place. Kol reaching out to him, gaze pleading for help as he died.

Elijah was next. Klaus knew this place, the mansion in Mystic Falls, and watched as the Bennett witch sent the white oak stake flying through the air and catching his brother through the back, entering his heart. And then there was Katerina running toward the burning body, screaming as she fell to his brother's side. Shouting that it was his fault.

The images shifted again and Klaus thrashed against the invisible ropes that seemed to be tying him down, watching as Rebekah came into view. She was in the Amsterdam house, only a floor below where he lay. She was talking on the phone, chattering away with someone, but it wasn't the stake that killed her and Klaus couldn't understand it. How could slitting her throat like that cause her to die? It should heal, she should be fine, but she simply grasped her neck, stumbling backwards as she stared at someone Klaus had never seen before, blood spilling forward as she collapsed to the floor. He watched as the blood pooled around her, saw Stefan enter into the house moments later, falling to her side and trying to close the wound, shouting and crying all at the same time.

What was this?

It made no sense to him at all. Elijah was nowhere near Mystic Falls, he had no clue who this new Hunter was, and Rebekah…she almost seemed human. And that wasn't possible. She was a vampire.

"Keep up your travels and this will all come to pass," a voice called, one that he had never heard before and couldn't distinguish if it was male or female. All Klaus knew was that it sent that same coldness sweeping through him, chilling him to his very core.

If this was a viewing of what might happen then he would simply be on the lookout. Kill the Bennett witch before she could take out Elijah, make sure Rebekah never became human—he'd have to determine a way to break that very thought from her head, Klaus knew she was entertaining it—and Kol. He'd kill that person if he ever saw them. Simple. Done.

The images shifted again, showing a forest, but this time was different than the others. Before he had been a bystander, rooted to the spot, unable to move or stop anything from happening. This time he cried out, his body breaking and twisting as he was forced to transform into the wolf. He couldn't figure out why that was a bad thing at first. He didn't feel the pain. It wasn't something he did often, changing into an actual wolf, but it wasn't something he feared either.

Until his senses picked up on the vampire. One who's scent he knew by heart and could hear running through the woods, trying to get away from him, away from the wolf that he currently was. The one that started running at full speed toward her, basic instincts taking over. Vampires were the enemy, something that seemed to be ingrained in wolf instinct, and he barreled toward her.

It didn't matter how hard he tried to stop it, to force himself to return to his usual state, to force the wolf that he was to alter course. Especially when she tripped over the underbrush, falling to the ground and he didn't wait, quickly pouncing on her and ripping into her throat.

Caroline.

Her screams would haunt him.

Klaus tried to fight against the hold on him, twisting against the invisible threads that were weaving their way through his mind, tightening their hold and forcing him to continue ripping out her throat. Devouring her pale skin, that mouth he wanted nothing more than to kiss.

"All of this will come to pass," the voice reminded, laughing at Klaus as it forced him to change back, bones bending and twisting until he was in his normal form, staring down at Caroline's body. There was no way to save her, nothing he could do to bring the light back to her eyes.

And just like that the nightmare was over and he was sitting up in bed, hand coming up to squeeze the intruder in his room. "Klaus?" Caroline choked, hands clasping onto his arm and it took him a moment to realize that it was her at the side of his bed, that he was hurting her.

He released her, watching as she massaged her throat. "What are you doing?" he demanded. Any other time he would have been ecstatic to have her in his room, but not then, not with how weak he was feeling in that moment. Not after what he had just done.

"You were…I thought something was wrong." She stepped back from the bed, still rubbing her neck. He didn't like the look she was giving him, was unable to decipher it against all the others he'd been on the receiving end of. "Rebekah and Stefan still aren't home and I heard you…" She shrugged, looking a little helpless at finding the words to say and it was something he never thought he'd see happen to Caroline Forbes. It was almost endearing.

"So you came to help me out, sweetheart?' Klaus arched a brow at that, allowing the satisfaction to sweep over him that she had come to his room because she thought he was in trouble. So many tiny incidents showing she didn't hate him as much as she tried to say she did.

Caroline frowned, looking away from him for a moment and he nearly grinned until she looked back at him. "Did they try to make you into a doll too?"

Her fear spiked at that idea and Klaus couldn't stand it, images of her lying dead on the ground bombarding him. The desire to taste her blood spiked, and he could feel the wolf in him wanting to come out to play. "No."

It was a curt answer and he was in no mood for fifty questions, needed her out of the room so he could come up with a plan, so that fear didn't grip hold of him as her fear engulfed him, reminding him of what his wolf had done.

Klaus pushed off the bed, grabbing hold of her arm and pulling her toward the door. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded, trying to force his grip off of her, her fear lessening, being replaced by anger. "I was just trying to help."

"I do not need your pity." He would not accept that. Especially not from her. Not after…no. He would not think of it then. He needed her out of the room. "Go to bed, Caroline."

He felt her tense at those words, her fear back again, and Klaus had a feeling he knew why it had spiked. No matter the ring they had gotten from the witch, he had a feeling she was still unsure of sleeping, worried it would fail. He should say something, offer some assurance that she would be fine, but he couldn't promise that. Not with what he had been forced to see, to watch himself do. He needed to think up a plan of his own, how to stop all that had been shown to him from ever happening, and he couldn't do that with her in the room.

"It wasn't pity. It was…_ugh_. Never- freaking-mind. I don't know why I even bothered." He released his hold on her and watched Caroline head back toward her room, muttering under her breath as she walked.

Mikael's words echoed in his mind, taunting him. _No one cares about you anymore, boy_. Was that what Caroline had been doing? Caring? Klaus wasn't sure, everything inside of him screaming that it was simply pity even as part of him railed against the rest, claiming it wasn't that. He heard his sister's words next, combining with his father's, all about a man who couldn't love. Not that this was…he didn't know what any of it was with Caroline, but love wasn't allowed, love was a weakness he would not, did not afford himself to have any claim to. Except for his siblings and even then it was a struggle.

Part of him wanted to go after her, to explain everything, to have her back there with him, to figure out why she had come to help him while he endured his own nightmare. But that part was quickly squashed and he headed downstairs, needing to do some research in the books in the library, needing answers and to formulate a plan. He'd make it up to her in the morning, still intent on making her enjoy her time in Amsterdam while Kol was off looking for the witches. But first, he needed to do this, to work out a way to be three steps ahead, to formulate his list of backup plans, just as he had done over the years.

What he had seen was not allowed to scare him. No, it would only strengthen what he was doing and ensure that whoever had tried to manipulate him would die begging for death by the time he was finished with them. Klaus simply needed to determine who it was, he already had the why. That much had been obvious. They wanted him to stop working to keep Silas locked away forever, for him to allow the immortals rise.

That was something he couldn't allow to happen. No matter what they threatened to be his future if he followed through with keeping Silas at bay. His siblings would not be killed, _he_ would not kill Caroline. Klaus would make sure of it and destroy any who would dare try and set into motion the scenarios that had played out in his head. No matter how angry it might make those he was protecting. Better with him and hating him than truly dead and lost to him forever.

* * *

Stepping onto the campus and walking along the paths with Valerie, Bonnie couldn't help but think back to all those late night talks with Caroline about them going to college. How they would room together, and get meal plans together, buy one of those burners and cook grilled cheese sandwiches in their rooms late at night when they needed a pick me up snack. Of course the contents of their mini-fridge would need to have a storage area for blood bags now and her part of the bookshelf would need an area for her family's grimoire and some herbs that she liked to keep around for doing magic, but the two of them still clung to that vision of normalcy. Even as everything else changed around them and in them, the bulk of their college dream had stayed the same.

She wasn't so sure it would anymore, not with all that they had lost in the last few weeks, not with what was to come. Or maybe it would allow more dreams to come true. Once she freed Silas and brought the others back from the dead, once she destroyed Klaus, maybe it'd be easier for them to have something even remotely close to normal.

But enough thinking about that. She had a task to complete and needed to concentrate, trying to follow the signature she had picked up of the new Hunter. "This way," she informed the witch who was accompanying her.

Valerie and the other were off looking into something else on the campus, Bonnie wasn't sure what, but her focus needed to be on the Hunter, not wondering what the others were doing. The older witch would probably tell her when they met up again…right? Now was not the time to let doubt set in.

"You're sure?" asked the girl, Sara, that was her name, right? Bonnie really needed to pay attention to some things a little more.

"Can't you feel it?" Bonnie asked, glancing over at the girl as they headed toward the dorm. The other girl shrugged, looking back toward the dorm entrance that it looked like needed some kind of keycard to get into.

Thankfully some students were leaving the building as they arrived, and Bonnie and Sara headed inside as one of them held the door open for them before trotting off after his friends. Bonnie refocused on following the energy, heading up the stairs until she got to the correct floor and then down the hallway. She stopped in front of a room, Sara close on her heels.

This was it. This was where all of the tumultuous energy originated. How exactly were they supposed to do this? What if the guy thought they were nuts? Bonnie remembered Caroline's reaction to when she had told her that she was a witch, and on hindsight she really shouldn't have blamed her friend. It _was_ a pretty out of the world idea considering all that they knew to be true.

Standing outside the door doing nothing really wasn't going to help any though, that much she did know. Before she could even knock though the door opened and a very disheveled looking young man stood in the doorway, looking between the two of them. His gaze was erratic and he ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Are you the ones who are supposed to help?" he asked, glancing behind them toward the hallway. He ushered them inside before they could answer, closing the door and locking it once they were inside.

Whatever Bonnie had been expecting, it definitely wasn't the dead vampire in the corner. The rest of the mess was pretty consistent with how she pictured a boy's dorm room to look. "She said you would be here like right away," the guy told them, his hands shaking as he stepped around them, giving himself as much room as possible from the dead body without stumbling into furniture. "Not a fucking week later."

"Who said what?" Bonnie asked, tearing her gaze away from the body and looking over at the young man.

"The one who did this!" the guy shrieked, holding up his hand.

There wasn't anything there, at least not visible to her eyes, but she had a feeling she knew what it was. "The mark? The Hunter's mark?" Bonnie asked as Sara moved around, trying to find somewhere that looked safe to sit.

"Is that what is? What the hell is a Hunter?" the guy asked, his energy spiking more as he started at his hand.

"Why don't we sit down and I'll try to explain what I can," Bonnie told him, offering up a small smile. "I'm Bonnie. I'm a witch. And I'm going to guess the guy in the corner was a vampire?"

The young man nodded and then raked a hand through his hair, gathering up papers and old plates off of the couch. He deposited them on the table and then sat down, waiting for Bonnie to do the same. "I'm Eddie. That's…that _was_ John." He wiped his hand over his face before letting fall onto his lap. "We've been friends since middle school. And he was…god; this was supposed to be a nightmare."

His leg moved nervously, bouncing repeatedly and Bonnie could pick up on the guy's nerves. "What happened?" she asked. Was there a vampire problem at the school?

"I came home from chem class and John was in here with some psycho girl who freaking fed him my blood and then had me shove some wood into his chest," Eddie told her, and nodded toward John. "That happened. He…and then this." He raised his hand again, and she knew he was looking at the marks on it. No doubt they looked like Jeremy's had. "And I've just been in here; waiting for whoever she said was going to help me, eating all the ramen, ignoring everyone, not going to classes. Oh my god. My parents are going to kill me." He looked over at John again.

"What the hell do I tell…?" He looked down at the floor, trying to get his breathing steady, and Bonnie reached over, knowing she needed to try to be comforting. At least Jeremy had known about the supernatural when everything had happened to him. At least he hadn't killed his friend.

As soon as she touched him though she was overrun by images that made no sense to her, a cave, a slab of stone with a mummified body lying on top. Eddie stared at her as she pulled away, rubbing her hand as she tried to figure out what had just happened. "What was that?" he asked, staring at her with wide eyes.

"I don't know," Bonnie replied honestly. "Have you been seeing things? Dreaming things?"

"Every night," Eddie told her. "There's a cave, that cave, but not that mummy. There's a man and he says I need to finish the map." He nodded toward his arm. "I don't know how though."

"You have to kill more," Sara said, finally speaking up and Bonnie looked over at her. Did they really have to be so blunt?

"I'm not killing anyone," Eddie shook his head, staring at her like she'd lost her mind.

"It's not like they're people," Sara told him, and Bonnie narrowed her eyes at that. "They already died, you're just making sure they can't go out and kill others. That's what they do."

"Not all of them," Bonnie replied, and Sara glanced over at her.

"Don't tell me you like vampires," she said her distaste obvious.

"Some of my friends are vampires." Though hopefully not for too long. Not if she could get the cure for them.

"Then I guess we'll make sure he doesn't kill those ones," Sara grinned, before looking around the dorm room again. "I think we should get going anyway. Valerie will be wondering where we are."

"You're leaving?" Eddie asked, his voice rising, obviously not liking the idea.

"Don't worry; we want you to come with us, unless you'd like to stay here in…this." She scrunched her nose at the surroundings.

"I don't…" Bonnie could hear the uncertainty in his voice and couldn't blame him at all.

"Why don't we at least get out of here and get food in you that's not ramen? And if you still want to stick with us after learning some more things then you can," Bonnie suggested, not wanting to push the guy. Being alone for a week with his dead friend had probably messed him up a bit.

"What about John?" Eddie asked as he rose and looked for a pair of shoes.

"I'll have someone take care of it," Sara replied, and Bonnie didn't like how she said that. Had a feeling they'd simply dispose of the body and be done with it, not giving John's family any kind of comfort or even an idea of what had happened to their son.

"You might want to change first, Eddie," Bonnie pointed out. She had a feeling he'd been wearing the same thing since the day he'd become a Hunter. "Shower?"

"Yeah, I'll be a few," he murmured grabbed some things from the dresser before heading into the attached bathroom.

Bonnie turned toward Sara as soon as she heard the shower start. "We are not going to just throw that body away. His parents need to be contacted."

"To what end?" Sara asked, already dialing a number on her phone. "Do you think it'll help them any? They won't know what he became. He'll become another statistic as will that one. It's not like he'll ever return to this place either with what his destiny is and that will start to kick in with the more vampires he kills." She pressed the phone to her ear and turned away from Bonnie to take her call.

Bonnie knew it was true. Hadn't Jeremy gotten stronger with each vampire he killed, the mark growing with each one, his need to slay vampires growing as well. The same would happen to Eddie, it _needed_ to happen to him for everything else to happen. She looked at the mementos in the dorm, the photographs of him and his friends, the mathletes award that hung on the wall. All of this would be pushed aside, left behind, so that he could become embroiled in all the supernatural drama.

She wished it didn't have to be that way, that she could save him from the life she led, but Bonnie knew the only way for her to have a chance at getting the cure, at retrieving her grandma, at putting Klaus in his place was for this college kid to leave it all behind. Maybe afterward he could go back and get something close to normal, not quite what he had now, but better than what he was headed into.

Eddie stepped out of the bathroom, clean clothes and looking a lot less frantic as he toweled off his red hair. "Ready?" Bonnie asked, trying to stave off the guilt that wanted to eat away at her.

"As I'll ever be," Eddie told her, casting one last glance at his dead roommate as the three of them left the dorm, Sara still on the phone and giving directions on where his dorm was located for body disposal.

Bonnie hoped she had made the right decision, knowing nothing would ever be the same for him, probably for her too. Maybe close to normal was all any of them were allowed anymore but she had to believe that was better than nothing at all.

* * *

Tense didn't even begin to describe the current outing that Caroline was being forced to endure with Klaus. After the nightmare debacle from the night before she hadn't expected him to come traipsing into her room that morning, telling her to be ready in an hour. She probably should have expected it, having learned already that when Klaus had something in his sights he didn't give up on it all that easily. If ever.

But Caroline had seriously thought that he'd want as much space from her as possible. _Something_ had upset him that night, had caused him to close himself off and push her away in that way only Klaus Mikaelson could do. _Not_ that she wanted him opening up to her, but jeeze, he was really good at the whole one step forward and then taking a giant leap back when it came to interpersonal relationships. He sucked at them. There was definitely no denying that. Not that it was her job to fix that. It was on him.

She couldn't help but be annoyed that Stefan and Rebekah had declined going with them, part of her wondering why Stefan was willingly hanging out with the other blonde, but mostly annoyed that he was leaving her to fend with Klaus on her own. Then again, Stefan didn't know about either of her conversations with the Hybrid the other night so…nope. She was still annoyed.

That was why when Klaus brought her for a walk along the canal they were staying in front of she had purposefully kept a scowl on her face and not looked out at the frozen water. Not even his reminder that she was only punishing herself would have her glancing that way. Did he seriously expect her to be all sunshine and rainbows after how he had treated her the night before? Because nope. She did not work that way.

"I never did say thank you," Klaus started, and she glanced over at him, wondering what he was going on about. Was this some ploy to get her to look? Because she'd just keep her gaze on his face. Problem solved. "For last night. Coming in to see if I was alright."

"I'm pretty sure that by this point it should be more of a 'sorry I was an ass, Caroline' than a thank you," she told him, looking away again as they continued to walk.

"I have nothing to apologize for," Klaus replied, and she scoffed at that. Seriously?! "I had no interest in speaking to you about it and still do not but I thought it best to thank you for the fact of worrying over my well-being."

"It won't happen again," Caroline muttered, trying to get the hood of her coat to stay in place. All the better to hide the beauty that she was missing out on.

"As delightful as this masochistic streak of yours is, Caroline, I grow tired of it," Klaus informed her, tugging the hood back down and yanking her around so she would be forced to see the canal.

It was breathtaking. All of the old architecture standing across from them, the water frozen over and people were skating along it. Laughter rang in the air, mixed with languages she didn't know, but all of the tones were so overwhelmingly happy. She couldn't help but smile at it, couldn't stop herself from trying to soak it all in, even if she was there with _him._ Even if it was Klaus who was telling her bits of history about the event going on, about a house across the street.

She tried to reel it in though, didn't want to make a big deal of it, and didn't want him to see her enjoying herself, knowing that was what he wanted to happen. He was right, she really was only punishing herself, but it made her feel less guilt to do that. Otherwise her guilt tried to overwhelm her, even when she wasn't entirely certain what she had to feel guilty about…aside from the fact that she was _enjoying_ spending time with him. After all he did, all he still threatened to do, and she was able to feel joy and delight when she was in his presence. What did that say about her?

Caroline pulled away from him, needing the distance, to walk a little ahead and not have his voice bouncing around in her head, cataloguing all the wonders of the city to her. He walked after her, though she was thankful he didn't try to catch up right away as he could have, needing the time to collect her thoughts. "Shall we get something to eat?" Klaus asked as he finally did step up beside her. "You're looking a bit peckish."

"I'm not feeding from anyone," she murmured. It wasn't to the point where she'd need to feed yet anyway. She had two bags on the plane; she should be good for another day. And then she'd just drink a lot to stave it back. Plus try for some fries.

"I was thinking in more of the lines of a rare steak," Klaus replied, and she wanted to hit him for the amusement in his voice. "I even know the perfect place. They'll have those fries I know you love so much."

Caroline really didn't like that he knew her fry habit. Seriously, what else did he know about her? And more importantly how did he find it all out anyway? When she had said she wanted to be picked first by someone she really should have been more specific, added in a 'no thousand year old psychotic Hybrids' clause.

"This way," Klaus continued, guiding her toward a side street.

Eating with Klaus at a restaurant really wasn't something that Caroline wanted to do, but when he had mentioned a rare steak, her gums had ached a bit and she knew that ache wouldn't go away until it was satisfied a little. She highly doubted that the kitchen back at the house was stocked with anything aside from alcohol.

They bumped into a woman along the way and Caroline caught her before she could fall, murmuring an apology. She was surprised when the woman answered in English, even more surprised when the woman didn't let go of her hand, staring down at her new ring, the one she'd gotten in Louisiana. "Where do you get that?" the woman asked, and Caroline pulled her arm back, reaching out to hold onto Klaus.

She could feel how tense he was and she had no idea how he'd react to this woman, to her curiosity. "A friend gave me it," Caroline told her.

"For protection?" the woman asked, glancing between the two of them as though she was trying to figure something out.

"Curiosity is a very dangerous trait to have," Klaus warned, and Caroline tightened her hold, not surprised when the woman's eyes widened.

Maybe this woman knew something useful. Of course maybe she was someone who could do something not so useful to them, but Caroline was going to try and have the benefit of the doubt in this situation. "Yes."

"Caroline," Klaus started, his voice low, probably only audible to her ears.

"You should see Sanai. She owns a bar here and I bet she can help with that," the woman told her, offering a small smile. The door to the house behind them opened and out stuck a small head, grinning brightly at her.

"Mummy!" the little boy yelled and the woman headed toward him, scooping him up before he could descend the stairs.

She looked back at the two of them. "It's called De Gewonde Krijger. Put it in your phone and you should find it." And with that she disappeared.

Caroline stared at where the woman had been for a moment before releasing Klaus and holding out her hand for his phone. "Absolutely not," he told her, already steering her back toward the house.

"So we're _not_ going to look into this lead? Because I'm pretty sure Sanai is the one we're looking for, right?" She was pretty sure that was the name that Zelda and Steven had mentioned.

"No, _you're_ not going. I'll pick up Stefan and Rebekah and look into it," Klaus informed her, and Caroline shook her head. "Perhaps figure out where Kol ran off to since the idiot left his phone behind."

"Sure," Caroline murmured, shrugging as they walked. "I'll just stay behind in the house. All by myself. With some woman that was already interested in the ring on my hand. I mean granted she doesn't know where we're staying." Maybe pushing at his paranoia wasn't the best route to take. She really didn't want that woman or her son to get killed.

Klaus stopped walking, grabbing onto her arm and spinning her to face him. "If you step one foot out of my sight, Caroline," he warned her as he took his phone out of his pocket, calling Rebekah.

"Threats really don't work all that well on me. Especially from you." All they did was irritate her and give her more checks for the 'Klaus is an asshole' column. The other column pretty much had two checkmarks for 'can draw' and 'has good taste'.

"Be that as it may, I'd hate to need to come down this street again for a bite to eat. Something tells me that boy would be terribly upset if he lost his mother," Klaus murmured, turning from her to talk to Rebekah as she answered.

Caroline glared at his back, knowing he'd make good on that idea. She was so erasing those two nice checkmarks and adding more to the asshole column out of spite now. Hopefully going to this bar would help speed along the process so she could get as far away from Klaus as possible, could get back to Bonnie, figure out where Elena had gone, and hug her mom. And she could go back to waiting for Klaus to get over his ridiculous obsession with her even if she wasn't all that sure that was all it was anymore. She really didn't want to even try and contemplate what else it could be.

* * *

Kol isn't even the tiniest bit surprised to discover that the address for Sanai's coven leads him to a bar. If he hadn't been around witches before he probably would have gotten angry, figured the other witch led him astray, but Kol had been around his share of witches over the years. Preferred their company to others at times, and one thing he had noticed was that they enjoyed owning establishments like bars through the ages. It wasn't anything that required too much time on their part to run, usually had back rooms when they needed to run their own more secretive meetings, and for the most part those that frequented their places were too drunk to remember anything out of the ordinary happening.

Usually the places that witches owned allowed for the supernaturals in the area to have somewhere to go for entertainment as well. A place they could be more themselves and not worry too much about someone freaking out about what they were doing or cause problems because of what they were. Though it was always 50/50 on whether or not vampires would be welcomed as well.

Through the ages, it was less likely for witches to get called out for their practices when they were tied with where half of the town went for their alcohol. Not that many witches ever perished during the various inquisitions and witch hunts through the ages. It was rare for a true witch to be burned alive or endure the various tortures doled out unless they were fairly new or simply incompetent. Of course there were those martyrs who deliberately put themselves on the pyres, looking to start trouble or issue warnings. He always found those ones to be rather foolish, but it was always entertaining to watch them die, their power releasing back into the world.

Kol strode into the bar, not bothering to glance around as he headed to the bar. He could feel the gazes on him, most turning away after they got a glimpse of the new comer, but there were a few who continued to watch him. Those would be the ones to look out for. He slid onto a stool, and leaned forward, glancing over at the bartender.

She was fairly pretty and he could sense the power in her even from where he sat, watching her talk to two men on the other side of the bar. Not as much as the other witch he'd met last night, but decent enough. He couldn't quite deduce her age, something he'd had difficulty doing after living a few centuries. Everyone was young compared to his siblings and him, but figuring out precisely how young or old anyone else was had become tricky. Throw in the fact that some witches liked to play around with the aging process and it was a useless endeavor to try and determine age.

"What do you want?" she asked as she finally stopped in front of him, no kindness at all in her greeting.

Kol glanced at the rows of bottles displayed and pointed at one that hadn't been opened. "I'll have that." He knew better than to order from the tap. Too often witches enjoyed putting vervain in the lines and was in no mood for dealing with that annoyance.

She didn't budge, crossing her arms as she looked at him. "Just cut to the chase, vampire. What do you want?"

Seemed this establishment was part of the duller fifty percent. Pity that. "That's between me and Sanai, who I'm told is around here somewhere." He focused his hearing to pick up on the others heartbeats, on the happenings in the back room. No one's pulse rose, he didn't hear anyone trying to bolt. Good.

"Gonna need more information than that," the bartender told him, not budging from her stance, and Kol grinned. He liked that stubborn streak. Reminded him a bit of a few others he'd known through the ages.

"Tell her Kol Mikaelson is here. She might know me as the one who slaughtered all of Silas' followers a couple hundred years back." He really hoped he got to do that again. He'd been missing out on some good slaughtering opportunities while Nik had him locked away in that box.

Kol turned as someone slid onto the stool beside his, watching as the beauty next to him waved the bartender away. This one had power, more than either witch he had seen in the last day, more than Zelda. Her line was old and he wondered precisely how old the magic was that ran through her mocha colored skin. "Sanai?" he inquired, wondering if that was who he was speaking to. It'd jive with the fact she was supposed to be a powerful witch.

"Lucy," she replied, offered up a smile but he saw the insincerity in it. She didn't like him either. "We have seen the signs, we know that Silas is looking to rise and we're already working to stop that from coming to pass. So what is it that you want, Kol Mikaelson?"

"I quite like the world the way it is, as do my siblings, so we thought we'd give you a hand." Kol grinned, though it turned into a grimace at her laugh.

"Why would we want or need your help?" Lucy asked, holding up her hand when two others stepped forward, waving them back off to their seats.

She had to know she was playing with fire, speaking to him the way she was. He was the more volatile of the Original siblings; never quite sure what might set him off to chop off her pretty little head. "Considering we already disposed of the Hunter and at least one of those people trying to teach expression and did I not mention that I killed all of the followers the last time? Because I'm fairly certain that I did." Kol shrugged. "And it comes down to either you let us help or we force you to do so. Yes yes." He paused, motioning toward the group of witches rose from various spots in the bar. "You're quite powerful. I know that already, can feel it to my bones, but do you know who it is that they're grooming to be the conduit to all that expression magic that's being released?"

He wasn't 100% sure but Caroline and Stefan had mentioned that the Bennett witch was practicing it and considering Shane had apparently been teaching her, Kol was confident that she was the one. The witches paused at his words and Lucy frowned, clearly he knew something that they didn't.

"They found someone already?" From her tone, Kol had a feeling they weren't anticipating that already happening.

"And it's one from a very powerful line. One of the oldest if not _the_ oldest." It always got tricky trying to figure out precisely which of the witch lines originated first, but there was no denying how powerful the Bennett line was.

"Who?" Lucy demanded, and he grinned, amused by the authority that she was conveying.

"I think I'll keep that one to myself until I see Sanai," Kol replied, resting his elbow against the bar as he grinned at her, thoroughly enjoying her discontent.

"Sanai is dead," Lucy told him and that was not what he wanted to hear. What the hell were these witches playing at? "She died a few months ago before everything started. This is my coven now and we need to know who."

"Not until I get a nice little binding answer that you'll allow us to help." Kol grinned, glancing over at the others scowling faces. He couldn't almost deduce what they were thinking, trying to come up with ways to get the information out of him. "I want Silas kept locked away as much as the rest of you, no desire to have that Veil destroyed, and I'm sure your witchy powers are quite adept at prying answers, but you might want to remember that I'm an Original. We're a bit different than your normal vampires."

Still no answer and Kol decided he was done playing nice and was out of his seat before they realized it. He didn't go for Lucy, knew he needed whatever information was stored in her head, but he grabbed a pool cue and with enough force impaled three of the witches through it, jamming the end into the wall on the other side as he picked up another cue. "I'm also more testy than most," Kol informed them, enjoying the startled cries and screams of the others.

He felt the pain spike in his head, knew they were trying to subdue him, and he forced himself toward the door. He didn't expect to see his siblings along with Stefan and Rebekah on the other side, but it was a welcomed sight.

"Not the one at the bar," he muttered as the three aside from Caroline flashed into the bar. "Not going to help out, darling?" He really shouldn't find the glare she directed at him to be so amusing, but he enjoyed how she tried so hard to fight off her true nature. It'd be delightful once she finally embraced what she had become. "Don't worry; we'll help you sharpen those fangs in no time."

A few moments later and everyone but Lucy was dead, her gaze a storm of anger and betrayal. "Stefan Salvatore," she muttered, and they all looked at her, Kol walking back inside and stepping over bodies.

"You were Katherine's witch," Stefan shook his head, uncertain as to why she was there.

"Of course that bitch is involved in this," Rebekah groaned, wiping blood off her hands.

"I don't work for her or any vampire anymore," Lucy replied, chin rising in defiance, forcing her gaze to remain on the vampires and not her dead friends.

"That will be changing," Klaus informed her, and Caroline finally stepped into the bar, heading toward Lucy.

"You're Bonnie's cousin, right? Sort of cousin. Her family?" Caroline asked, stopping when Klaus grabbed onto her arm, not letting her get close to Lucy. "She talked about you after that. Wondered about you. She thought you might come back and help her learn more about being a witch."

"You know Bonnie?" Lucy was watching her and Kol grinned, waking toward the witch.

"She's my best friend," Caroline replied, trying to wrench her arm from Klaus' grip. "Along with Elena. We've been friends since like almost birth. Preschool I think."

"What's your name?" Lucy looked her over, causing Klaus' grip to tighten and Caroline to struggle more.

"Caroline-" she tried to get out, Klaus yanking on her again to quiet her.

"I say we skip past these questions that have nothing to do with why we're here," Klaus insisted, and Kol arched a brow at that, amused at his brother's protectiveness of the girl. He really needed to look more into what was going on in his brother's head with that.

"Bonnie _is_ why we're here! Or part of why I'm here," Caroline pulled at her arm, and Kol leaned back against the bar, enjoying their struggle.

"You'll have to excuse their little tug of war," Kol murmured, and hopped over the bar. "Though the sexual tension between them is quite fun to watch play out." He laughed at the simultaneous looks of annoyance cast at him by the two of them. Adorable.

"Can you help her so these idiots don't try and kill her?" Caroline continued, and Kol sighed, knowing she would be giving away who was becoming the conduit.

"Why does Bonnie need any help?" Lucy asked, and Kol raised up a finger at a time as he waited for the realization to dawn on her. "She's the one they're using to control expression?"

"Perhaps," Kol murmured, grabbing a few bottles from the rack. "And it seems that you're down some members of your coven." Not all of them. There hadn't been enough in the bar to make a complete coven. "Looks like we're going to need to work together after all."

He tossed a bottle toward Rebekah, grinning when she caught it. He would have thrown one to his brother, but considering Klaus still had a firm grip on the baby vampire, Kol thought it best not to do so.

"Though we might want to move this meeting of the minds to another location," Kol suggested as he hopped back over the bar. "Unless you'd like us to keep on killing anyone who happens to walk inside."

The pain erupted in his head again and he dropped the bottles he was still holding, falling to his knees at the intensity. "Rebekah, do not touch her," Klaus warned, and Kol knew that he would stop their sister if necessary. "We do need her alive."

"You do not control me. No vampire gets to control me anymore," Lucy told him, and Rebekah headed toward her, but she was thrown backward toward the wall as were the rest of them, their bodies pressed to it by an invisible force.

Kol tried to stand, intent on knocking her off her feet, anything to break the hold she had on them, but she only increased the pain in his head. "I will kill you, witch," Klaus threatened, and Kol knew by his brother's tone how serious that threat was.

Kol was flung to the wall beside his family and Lucy walked over toward the group, stopping in front of them. "Maybe I will need your help and maybe you do need mine, but I have no intention of working with any of you. Not after that ridiculous display of power." She looked back at her fallen friends and then back at the vampires. "I'll talk to Bonnie's friend but only her. I'll contact you in a few days when we've all gotten over our murderous thoughts."

She strode out of the bar and the spell that kept them locked against the wall kept up for a few minutes, no doubt giving her enough time to leave the area and return to a protected place. As soon as it released, Klaus had grabbed Caroline's arm. "Back to the house, now," he ordered, flashing away with the two of them before anyone could speak.

"He's going to be a joy to be around," Rebekah muttered, crossing her arms as Kol headed back to the bar. "_What_ are you doing?"

"Might as well take some for the road. We're going to need it if we have to deal with him," Kol replied, picking up a few more bottles and grinned when Stefan joined him.

"He's got a point, Rebekah," the Salvatore murmured. "You know how much Klaus doesn't like someone else having any control."

"Top shelf only, boys," Rebekah sighed, and Kol grinned.

Maybe it hadn't gone precisely how he wanted, maybe he had angered a very powerful witch, but at least he'd had some fun and got to take part in some good old fashioned slaughter. Even if it had played out too quickly in his opinion. Rather nice day for him, even if they were sure to deal with a highly irritated Nik once they did return to the house.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: As always thanks so much for reading and everything.**

**Just a head's up that I don't know if there will be an update next week or if there is it'll be later on in the week. I was out of town for the weekend-which is prime writing time-so I don't know when I'll have the chance to write and send off the next part before this weekend. But it will get updated!**

**And as always, a special thanks to my lovely beta (livingdeadblondegirl).**

* * *

_**"never forget:  
**__**we walk on hell,  
**__**gazing at flowers."  
**__**Kobayashi Issa**_

* * *

"Let me go!" Caroline demanded, trying not to stumble backward when Klaus finally complied, slamming the door shut behind them. He had kept a tight grip on her arm as he flashed them across the city and away from Lucy, continued to keep it all the way into the house as he dragged her up the stairs and to the room she had claimed as her own. "So now what? You're going to try and lock me away in this room or something because _newsflash_ I can so just break the hell out."

She would break the window and jump if she had to. There was no way she was staying inside, not when she could help, not when meeting up with Lucy could mean a quicker end to everything and she could try to get back to her normal life. Or as close to normal as she could possibly get anymore.

Caroline stepped back when she saw Klaus' eyes dilate, had a feeling she knew what he was going to try and do and she clenched her eyes shut, trying to kick him when he grabbed her arms again. "Don't you dare," she growled, pushing him back with all of her strength.

It sent the two of them crashing into the wall and she could hear the wood splinter as his back hit it. "Don't think for a second that I won't do whatever I can to make certain that you're safe, Caroline," he told her and she tried to hit him, tried to scrape her nails against his face, anything to get away from him.

"Why the hell is it so important that I'm safe?" Her voice rose with every word, nearing hysterics. She didn't understand why that was something he was so adamant about. Shouldn't he be throwing her to the wolves now? Manipulating her to get Lucy on their side. Something, _anything, _except this weird need for her to be safe and alive.

His grip faltered at her question, letting her go as she wrenched backward, stumbling away from him. Caroline peered through the hair that had fallen in front of her face, ready to shut her eyes if he tried compulsion, but she needed to look at him right then. Klaus' face was a mask of emotions, ones she couldn't quite determine. Confusion, uncertainty, and then rage she didn't think she had ever seen on him before.

"Do you think I want this?" he demanded, and Caroline found herself pressed against the far wall before she could even blink.

He was too close, his nose inches from her own and his arms boxing her in against the wall. "I considered killing you a time or two since Kol took you. First it was simply let him destroy you, toss you lifeless to the side of the road and I'd never have to worry about what you're causing inside of me. Or let the witches who entered your dreams take hold of you, turn you into that doll you so fear becoming," he began and she shivered at the thought, flinching when Klaus brushed a strand of hair off her face. "I could rip your heart out right now and end it all. Do you know how easy it would be? It'd barely take any effort at all."

She kept her hands at her side, not wanting to touch him. He was already close enough as it was, she didn't want to feel the rage that was coursing through his body. It was enough that she could smell it, could see it in the way he looked at her, rage mixed with something she was not giving name to. It was so much easier when it was lust. She could deal with that from him. Lust was easy to turn down, to manipulate, but the way he looked at her now frightened her to the very core.

That was a look that meant he wasn't going to give up. Not ever. And how long was she supposed to run from the immortal Hybrid? Forever? She didn't know if she could handle running from him for that long, pushing him away for that long. As stubborn as she was, Caroline knew that Klaus was just as stubborn, but he also knew far more about waiting than she did. He had way more practice at it.

"Then do it." Not that she wanted to die. It was the last thing she wanted, but she really needed him to stop looking at her like that.

This was not how her fantasy of being someone's first choice was supposed to play out. How had it all become so twisted and wrong? Probably had something to do with the fact she was a vampire. Instead of roses and chocolates she was receiving dead friends and tortured loved ones.

Klaus rubbed a thumb against her cheek and she froze, not liking the gesture, wanting him away far away from her again. "No," he told her, breath ghosting along her face and Caroline shoved him away, knowing he wouldn't have budged if he hadn't allowed it.

She could not handle that conversation right then. Would prefer to never finish it if she had her way. She needed to take back some control and steer it elsewhere. "I'm not staying in this room forever. You know that won't work. We need that witch—Lucy." That was her name, right? Caroline was 95% certain that was correct. The events of the last week or so were catching up with her and sometimes Caroline wasn't entirely sure which way was up any longer. "And she'll only talk to me. So you know I have to go."

"I won't be allowing you to leave my sight," Klaus replied, his tone hard and Caroline knew he wouldn't compromise on that. Whatever. She just wanted him _out_ of her room and away from her. She needed time to wrap her head around things or to distract her mind from everything. All she knew for certain was that she really needed him to go.

"Then I guess you'll be coming with me." Like the witch really thought she'd get everything she was demanding. Well, no, maybe she did, but it seemed like they were all going to need to try and compromise their demands.

The front door opened and Caroline heard the others walk inside, Kol chatting about the alcohol he had procured and how they should really all get a bite to eat soon. Just the mention of it reminded Caroline that she hadn't eaten since the plane and she was craving blood. Unlike the others she hadn't fed on any witches.

She glanced back at Klaus, trying to keep her cravings under control, to not let him see how hungry she was, but like he'd been doing too often lately, he seemed to be able to see right through her act. "Freshen up, sweetheart. If you're to see the witch in a few days I can't have you hungry and weak," Klaus informed her, heading toward the door.

She didn't like the sound of any of that, had a feeling that getting her need for blood satiated wouldn't equal breaking into a hospital to steal some blood bags. "I'm not killing anyone," Caroline muttered, adamant about that. Just because it felt good when she'd done it didn't mean it was right. Not everything that felt good was right.

Klaus turned back toward her, arching his brows at her as he grinned, entirely too smug for her liking. "That's the problem with having Stefan teach you about vampirism, Caroline, about only ever seeing what's inside your tiny little town. You know nothing of our world. Only of the human one. I think it's time you opened your horizons a little, opened your eyes and truly embrace all that you've become."

She glared at him, trying not to show any reaction to his words, even as she wondered about what he was referring to, about how there could be some other world. They lived in the same damn world. There was no human one and a separate supernatural one. It was all one. Except she knew it wasn't. Once she had learned of witches her view on the world had altered slightly. Becoming a vampire had altered it even more but she had been clinging to her old life, to how things used to be, trying to keep the rest of it from creeping into her world. Even as it kept on coming, first with the other vampires coming into town, the werewolves, and then the Originals. Each one putting another crack in the world that was Mystic Falls and this latest one with Silas and the cure and all of it had been the last straw. The last week or so had finally broke the walls that she had been trying so hard to keep up, to keep out everything else.

There was no use in that anymore. Not with all she had seen so far, not with the few bits she had learned since Kol had abducted her, and Caroline knew there wasn't any going back to Mystic Falls after all that had happened. She would never be content there now, not when she had finally glimpsed the world and all it could offer. How was she supposed to go back to planning committees and school and all of that? The only thing that would have any draw to her was her mother, Liz Forbes was the only thing that would tie her back to that town, but Caroline knew her mother wouldn't be there forever. She kind of wished her mom wasn't there right then, that she was somewhere safe, not that Caroline even knew where would be safe anymore.

All Caroline knew was that she had two options. She could let all of the changes overwhelm her, cause her to cower and try to hide again from the world or she could embrace it and work to hold onto the core of who she was even as she learned to live in a world she was only just beginning to really see.

It scared her and thrilled her all at the same time.

"Don't worry," Klaus started, smirking and she didn't like that, didn't like that she knew he was about to say something that saw into her and rankled her all at the same time. "I'll be there to guide you the whole way. Be ready in an hour."

She threw the nearest thing to her, some old vase that was probably older than her, fuming as he closed the door, the vase smashing against the wall. God, he was infuriating.

Caroline could hear the others downstairs talking, the heated conversation beginning between Kol and Klaus, Rebekah piping in to egg them both on. The knock on her door a moment later explained why she hadn't been hearing Stefan's voice. "It's open," she called out, trying to regain her composure.

Stefan peeked in, arching a brow at the broken vase. "I wanted to make sure he didn't do anything to you."

Caroline shrugged. Like Stefan could really stop Klaus from doing anything. "Apparently we're all going to go out for a _bite_ to eat now." Stefan frowned at that, hearing her emphasis on bite and she knew that he knew what she was referring to. "You're not going."

They both knew what could happen with Stefan being around human blood like that. Not that she even knew exactly what was going to happen or really even what Klaus was referring to, but she didn't want to chance Stefan becoming the Ripper. That was so not allowed to happen on her watch.

"Caroline," Stefan started and she shook her head.

"I can handle, Klaus." Sort of. Maybe. "And I can handle whatever and wherever he's going to throw at me. I've got the best control out of like all of us, right?" Wasn't that what they were always telling her? That they were always amazed by her amount of control, under some belief that it all came so easy to her. If only they knew how wrong they were on that. It wasn't easy, it could be a struggle a lot of days, but it was her choice and like hell was she letting anyone take her choices from her again.

"We never should have gotten you to play the part," Stefan murmured, and Caroline looked away then, not able to handle the guilt on her friend's face. "To keep on being the distraction."

"If wishes were horses and all." She shrugged. "It's fine." It wasn't really, but they couldn't exactly change it. She just needed to figure out how to manipulate all of it for her benefit as well. To help protect those that she loved and hopefully not lose her mind in the process. "I need to get ready, Stefan."

He didn't move for a moment, staring at her long and hard as if he were trying to pick out the right words to say. "No matter what, just remember who you are, Caroline," he told her and she nodded, watching him leave the room.

That was part of the problem, wasn't it? Exactly who was she now? That was something she had been trying to really figure out for a while and every time she thought she had an idea, that she had created the perfect plan to follow to become who she wanted to be another wrench was thrown into the mix and she was thrown for a loop, unsure which way was up. But that was fine. She would make it through that, just like she would make it through whatever Klaus was planning on showing her.

Like Scarlett O'Hara would say, _After all…tomorrow is another day_ and Caroline was always a big believer in that, felt it was her life's motto. She would persevere. No matter what was thrown at her next.

* * *

The signs were beginning to show up everywhere, invading her dreams, those of her covens, and cropping up in the news as well. If one didn't know where to look for them or what to look for it wouldn't have been anything all that foreboding, but her family had been raised on the myth of Silas for generations, part of the Coven who had worked to eradicate the group of followers that had cropped up centuries before. They were always on the lookout for another group to be built, always waiting for the signs to appear. Each generation hoping that it wouldn't happen, each breathing a sigh of relief when another decade went by without any murmurings of his rise.

"I was wondering when you would call," Amaiya greeted as she answered the phone, not surprised that Lucy was reaching out to her. She had known the transition into being leader had been a hard one for the other girl; that Lucy was still getting her footing after Sanai's death, but it was pretty much sink or swim at the moment and Amaiya was confident that the other woman would swim. After all they were distantly related; cousins removed who even knew how many times, but both descending from the witch Ayana.

"We've hit a slight snag over here," Lucy told her and Amaiya frowned, thankful that none of her kids were with her on this shopping trip. She really didn't want to worry them and had a feeling this conversation would do just that.

"What happened?" Amaiya asked as she stopped at the red light.

"The Original family is in town. They killed a number of the coven and want to play a part in what happens next." Lucy's distaste in vampires was evident in her tone.

"If I recall correctly one of them was the reason that the first cult was wiped off the earth, Luce." Would it hurt to get that extra power to back up what needed to be done? As long as they were intent on keeping Silas down like the rest of them, she wasn't seeing the problem with using their strength. As long as they could control them. That might really be the issue.

"I don't work with vampires, Amaiya. You know that." Burned once and all that. She couldn't really blame Lucy. Working with vampires seemed to be the best way to either end up dead or with all of one's loved ones dying. Nothing good ever really seemed to come of working with or for them.

"It's getting worse and you know it. We're all going to need to do things we would rather not when it comes down to it." Sacrifices would need to be made on all of their parts. A little uncomfortableness in regards to partnering up was the least of their worries. "Working with them to get what we need and stop who we need to doesn't mean you have to like them or enjoy it. Just means you need to do your part."

"There's more." Lucy sighed on the other end of the call. "And this part is…the one they have for channeling all the power? It's Bonnie Bennett."

"What?" Amaiya didn't mean to slam on the breaks at that, silently waving an apology to the car that skidded to a halt behind her as she started driving again. The last _direct descendant _to the Bennett line being that funnel was not good, it was the exact opposite of good. How had they even roped her into that?

"I don't think she has a clue what she's doing, 'Maiya. When I met her she didn't want anything to do with any of this. But I sensed that good in her. This…this isn't her choice." Amaiya didn't really find any of that comforting. A manipulated Bonnie wasn't exactly promising either.

"You focus on your tasks, Lucy. I'll get my Coven to figure out where she's at," Amaiya told her. The sooner the better. Maybe they could break the hold that the followers had over the girl. No doubt the damn Valerie was behind it. She was a constant thorn in their side and needed to be dealt with. "I just got into the driveway. I'll call you later after I talk to the Coven."

She hung up and took the Bluetooth out of her ear, throwing it into her purse as she popped the trunk. Amaiya went through the list of possible locations Valerie and her group could be based on what all her Coven had been tracking as she headed toward the door. "If you want me to make dinner I'm going to need help unloading the car," she called out as she entered the house, freezing as soon as she stepped inside.

There were bloody footprints on the floor, a streak of it along the wall as if someone had run their hand across it. She should have turned around and gotten back into the car, headed to the next Coven member's house with all that was going on, but she couldn't do it. Her kids were home and she needed to know what had happened to them, to know if they were alright or not.

She followed the blood trail, uncertain what she would find but ready to let out some witch power once she figured it out. Whatever she expected it wasn't to find her teen daughters draped across the kitchen table, her son on the floor. She ran toward them, falling at her knees at the youngest, and reaching forward to find a pulse, anything to indicate that they were alive. But there was nothing.

Amaiya picked up the bloody knife that lay beside her son, wondering who would have done such a thing.

"Don't worry. They're not dead-dead," a voice started behind her, and Amaiya whirled around, sending out the spell and watching with some satisfaction as the woman behind her snarled, clutching her head as pain erupted through it. "Katherine?"

But why would that vampire…it didn't make sense. She nicked herself on the knife and dropped it, letting it clang onto the floor beside her. Amaiya didn't expect the set of fangs that tore into her hand to come from behind her, and she faltered, falling back as she realized that her eldest had been turned. _No._

"I figured out that she was the only one who got your _gift_," the Katherine lookalike said. "And I'm supposed to end the lines. Make it so that even if they do come back they won't have access to the magic. So now she's like me and has no access to magic."

Amaiya flinched at that, knowing that this wasn't some random attack. This had been planned, orchestrated even and she had a feeling she knew exactly by whom. She needed to tell the Coven, needed to give Lucy a warning. They had no clue what was happening.

"And my name is Elena. Not Katherine."

The vampire stepped forward, pushing Amaiya's daughter off of her as she ripped into her own wrist before forcing blood down Amaiya's throat. In a quick motion she snapped the witch's neck. "And now, neither will you." Elena looked over at the fledgling one who looked absolutely famished. "Eat your sister but try to leave the boy for her when she wakes up. I have another house to go see."

There was no rest for her. Not until she completed her tasks, one by one, and maybe then she would finally be put out of her misery.

* * *

Nearly fifteen hours and over $1200 later, Liz Forbes landed in Amsterdam. She had spent the time in the Richmond airport contacting the few people she had known through Bill before they had broken up, the ones who she had remained in contact with even when she had tried to keep her focus on her hometown instead of the outside world. A few phone calls later and she had a contact in the city who was supposed to be picking her up and helping her hopefully locate her daughter.

It was making sure that the contact didn't do anything that could end up harming Caroline that Liz was most worried about. Most in Bill and Steven's line of work didn't care for vampires, would take on the same stance as Steven had and want Caroline put down. They wouldn't accept that being a vampire hadn't changed her little girl, they'd only see a monster and the last thing Liz wanted to do was bring her daughter any more pain.

Her goal was to get her away from the Originals and after that she wasn't exactly certain. Back to Mystic Falls might not be the best idea. Maybe she could get Caroline some money out of her savings and get her daughter to go hide somewhere. As much as Steven's worry about something else that was going on, something she had been picking up on with Bonnie and Elena missing, with the Originals looking into something that she didn't know about, Liz' biggest concerns were in regards to Klaus' intentions towards her daughter.

Liz had seen how he treated his hybrids, his siblings, everyone else in town. She had seen Stefan's troubled expression when she had mentioned that Caroline was with Klaus, Damon's as well. She didn't want Caroline anywhere near that volatile creature. One bad moment and he could snuff out her daughter's life in the blink of an eye.

She departed the plane with the other passengers, heading out into the airport terminal and toward baggage claim. A woman held a sign with her name on it and Liz headed toward her, taking note of her surroundings as she did so. It never hurt to be a little careful. Though she did trust her friends in regards to her own life. Just not Caroline's.

"Liz Forbes?" the woman asked with a smile as she lowered the sign, her accent was heavy but understandable. "I am Frigga and Sam asked me to offer you assistance in finding your daughter."

"Yes." Liz followed the woman out of the airport. She didn't have any luggage, there hadn't been any time to pack, and had simply bought a suitcase at the Target near Steven's house and thrown some clothes into it so all she had was her carry-on. "I'm not even sure she's still here but it's the last known whereabouts for her."

If they had followed Steven's information which Liz was counting on them doing. She was at a loss on what to do if they hadn't. "But she was traveling with a group of others. That I need to get her away from."

"Did she go with them willingly?" Frigga asked as they got headed toward her car.

"No." It had definitely not been willing.

"Who is she with? That might help me to locate her," Frigga nodded toward the car. "There has been a bit of a spike in supernatural activity in Amsterdam over the last week so if she is here and it's with someone with a bit of a profile that will make it easier. If not then we can circulate some of the hotspots."

Liz deposited the carryon in the backseat and got into the passenger's, waiting for Frigga to start the car. She hadn't ever heard of the Originals before they headed into town, even with all of the Founder's Council's lore on vampires, they hadn't ever cropped up. She wondered if the other woman would have any idea about them. Bill had seemed to know of them after she had filled him in more on what was happening in the town, after she had threatened him with death if he _ever_ came near their daughter again with the stunt he had pulled. But he hadn't been all that forthcoming with his information and she hadn't tried prying it out of him, more concerned with Caroline's well-being.

"She's with the vampires known as the Originals." Guess she'd see how well-known they were in the rest of the world.

Frigga's grip on the steering wheel tightened, her knuckles becoming white with the strain. "They are a myth."

"Believe me, they're not. They've been terrorizing my town for the last year." Give or take a few months.

"If they are true and they are here, I know the witch who will know all about their whereabouts. We shall go see Lucy." Frigga sighed, turning on her blinker. "Your daughter certainly knows how to pick her trouble."

Liz sighed, looking out at window. "You have no idea."

* * *

Compelling the car from their neighbor had been an easy enough task, one that Klaus had carried out by the time Caroline had ventured out of her room, ready to go. He'd half expected that he would need to go into it and drag her out, force her to come along and do as he suggested, but once again she had surprised him. Something he quite enjoyed when it came to the baby vampire. He could never be quite certain how she would react all the time. Sometimes he knew precisely how she would behave, but every so often she threw him for a loop and he savored those moments.

Stefan and Rebekah were staying in, and as much as he would have enjoyed prying out Stefan's fun side, he preferred to not have their company. It was bad enough that Kol was tagging along. Even worse that he wouldn't stay still in the back seat of the sedan and continued to lean forward for attention. Whether from himself or from Caroline.

He really should have grabbed a dagger or two before leaving Mystic Falls.

"I want your phone," Caroline piped up finally, the first words she'd spoken since they had gotten in the car.

"My my, she's a demanding little thing, isn't she, Nik?" Kol murmured, strumming his fingers on the arm rest in between the two front seats.

"You said I could call my mom. I haven't done that yet." Klaus had to hand it to her for ignoring his brother's obvious jabs. Something he wasn't all that good at doing.

Klaus fished the phone out of his pocket and handed it over. "Do you know how to dial a number overseas, Caroline?"

"Nope." He enjoyed the way the p popped when she said it, showcasing her annoyance with him. "But since you said you'd be along to help _guide me_ I'm sure you'll offer up that lovely little bite of wisdom."

Klaus grinned at that, easily relaying what she needed to dial first before the number she wanted to call. No doubt it was her mother; he knew she hadn't contacted her while he had been around. Of course she could have when he had gone on his relaxing little outing with the blonde and her friends, but considering Caroline still didn't know how to dial internationally he highly doubted that was the case. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes as he continued to drive, watching her worry her bottom lip with her teeth as she waited for an answer.

He could almost taste her disappointment when she lowered the phone into her lap. "It says she's not in service."

Curious. "You can try again later." He held out his hand for the phone, pleased that she handed it over to him, even if he didn't like how forlorn she looked.

"So where are we headed?" Kol asked, popping in between the seats again and Klaus grimaced, wishing he had left his brother behind. "We left Amsterdam a couple of miles ago."

"Haarlem. We should be there in about twenty minutes," Klaus replied, knowing that wouldn't be enough for Kol. "I have an old friend out there who is still running an establishment that she's had since the 1980s. Think, Turkey in the 1800s."

"I quite enjoyed Turkey then. We got along smashingly," Kol nodded with approval. "Of course that was before you got miffed over something or the other and I left for half a decade to avoid your dagger fetish."

"You called attention to us with your antics." Something they couldn't afford with Mikael always a step or two behind them. Something that Kol never seemed to be able to get through his thick skull.

"I was just having a bit of fun," Kol replied, and reached over to touch Caroline's hair.

Klaus narrowed his eyes, ready to slam on the breaks, but she smacked his brother's hand away. "I'd say we could all have a wonderfully good time but Nik doesn't like to share until he's bored," Kol murmured as he sat back. "Pity he doesn't look like he'll be getting bored of you anytime soon."

"Another word, Kol," Klaus warned, eyeing his brother through the rearview mirror.

"Yes, yes, my liver and all," Kol laughed, strumming his fingers along the seat.

Klaus gripped the steering wheel tighter, his entire body on edge because of his brother and his statements. There wasn't any fear from Caroline though and he glanced toward the girl, noting that she looked bored of the conversation. Perhaps she had learned to mostly ignore whatever came out of his brother's mouth or maybe it was all an act. Though he didn't smell any fear from her. He did note that she was purposefully not looking at him, her gaze on anything but him, no doubt playing back to their conversation in her room only a few hours before.

The same one that still played out in his head, confusing him and irritating him all in one go. He'd need to find someone to entertain Kol once they arrived at their destination. Klaus needed to have some private time with the girl and he was not about to let anything stop him from getting it. Least of all his little brother.

* * *

"You're sure this will give us some more insight into everything?" Stefan looked around at the old books that Rebekah had scattered on the table.

At first when she had suggested they do their own recon mission for the cure, he had thought she might have drank a little too much of the alcohol they had taken and once he had realized she was serious he definitely hadn't expected their mission to end with them at the university library.

"I think it's infinitely better than us relying solely on what the witches are telling us." Rebekah didn't bother looking up from the text she was carefully flipping through.

All of the books she had picked out were from a couple hundred years back, all had been either on display behind glass for eyes only, or in one of the back rooms. Only to be taken out by those with special permission and who knew how to properly handle them. He could read a few of the books, knowing some of the languages, but the older ones were all up for her to translate.

"Do you honestly think any of them are going to give the entire picture of what's happening? Witches are all about the balance, Stefan, and considering what my mother was hell-bent on doing only a few months ago, we upset the balance." She skimmed her finger along one line of text, pausing for a second as she furrowed her brow. "You would think that would have them clamoring to get the cure, to force it down our throats so they could restore the balance. Yet, they're not. Seems rather…what's the saying nowadays? Fishy? I believe that's it."

Stefan couldn't discount that she raised a good point. But he also thought the fact that the witches they had run into weren't advocating them finding the cure probably meant that Silas really was a big threat, that what they all feared was coming to pass really could equal the end of the world as they knew it. There just hadn't been an explanation for why the cure was tied into Silas.

From what Shane had told them Stefan knew that the Silas myth had originated before the Originals were even born, so how could a cure that was apparently with him do anything to vampires? Silas might have been immortal but it never said anything about him drinking blood in the mythology that Shane had been telling them. There were so many unanswered questions and he did want answers because Rebekah had been right. If there was a chance to get the cure without bringing Silas into the world then he did want it. Even if Elena wouldn't take it, even if it didn't do anything to help her, in the end Stefan wanted it for himself.

"Maybe they're not clamoring for it because getting it means releasing Silas," Stefan suggested, closing the book he had been looking through and reached to pick up another one. He watched Rebekah tense at that idea, had a feeling she had been trying to bury that option deep down, not wanting to face that it might be the reality of the situation.

"Always so pessimistic, aren't you?" she muttered, slamming one of the books and breaking its spine. The library was really not going to like that. "Why would Alexander have known of it then? If it was something they wanted locked away to never see the light of day, why would they have let others know about it? We knew nothing of the cure until he came into our lives."

Stefan didn't know what to say to that. He knew Alexander was a touchy subject for Rebekah and couldn't blame her for that considering how that relationship had played out. "But then why didn't they use that on you instead of the daggers?"

"They didn't have it. The map led to it, I don't know why they never followed it there and like my brother told you, once they were dead the map was gone and we never heard a whisper about the Brotherhood ever again." Rebekah trailed her fingers along the rest of the books. "But they knew of it. They were created to put an end to us and they knew of the cure, they had the map on their bloody bodies, Stefan. If the daggers hadn't worked—which they didn't in the end—but if they had been able to get away with their lives then I'm certain that would have been what they went after next as their option."

Stefan frowned, thinking it all over. If that had been their next option, and she made a good case for it being so, then she was right. The cure would have to be something they could have gotten without waking the other immortal, right? Unless the witch who created the Brotherhood hadn't cared about waking him. But considering what his rise seemed to bring about, Stefan couldn't see many witches being okay with that. It was a puzzle and one he didn't think they would really figure out until they actually got their hands on the cure.

"So what are you expecting from this study session, Rebekah? You think one of them will just happen to mention the cure?" He really wasn't sure it was something they were going to find in the texts on the table.

"Considering I've already found countless mentions of my family, though not all of them accurate and most of them quite distorted even in their bits of truth, yes, I do. So quit your complaining, and look through the ones you can actually make heads or tails of." Rebekah shoved another book toward him. "Nik may be occupied for a few hours trying to entertain Caroline and failing miserably, but he won't be gone forever, and I'd like to be back at the house as if we hadn't gone anywhere well before he returns."

Stefan flinched at the idea of Caroline with Klaus, knowing she was going somewhere she really had no frame of reference for. He worried for how she would react to it, what all Klaus would try to make her do, but Caroline was stubborn. He knew she could hold her own. He just hoped that the two butting heads wouldn't end in bloodshed. Or at least not hers.

He picked up the book Rebekah had picked out for him and sighed, leaning back to try and get comfortable as he started looking for any mention to a cure in the myths and legends of whatever region he was currently reading about in regards to vampires. It was definitely like finding a needle in a haystack but Rebekah was right, his pessimism wasn't helping. Her blind hope was going to end up wrecking her though if nothing came from their research and he really wasn't looking forward to that if the outcome wasn't one that she wanted.

* * *

Elijah had been trying to ignore the sinking feeling that had been expanding inside of him since he had taken Katherine to Italy. He had wanted to try again, to rekindle the fire that had never fully extinguished for either of them. With Klaus focused on his hybrids and his other siblings finally undaggered and living their lives…aside from Finn, but there was nothing to do for that brother anymore, it had seemed time for him to focus on his own happiness.

No longer did he need to hunt down Klaus to try and locate where their siblings were located. Nor did he need to run from his father or try to make up for his own mistakes in the past with Klaus. He could live as he saw fit and do as he pleased and what Elijah had wanted most was a chance with his Katerina.

He hadn't been sure she would want the same after everything they had endured together. The chase, the hunt, compelling her to the tomb and everything in between, along with her own lies and betrayals. But when he had tracked her down in New Orleans she had been pleased to try again as well, both of them working to pick up at some point where they had left off.

But the text messages had started to crop up. The ones she tried to answer quickly and then flashed him that smile, the one meant to distract, to manipulate. It was nothing like the one he had grown to enjoy back before her life had altered; that almost innocent one when he had known her as a human. Elijah knew too much had happened, too much time had passed since those days for her ever to truly be that girl again, but he wondered if she was in there somewhere at all.

She'd been a survivor back then, he'd sensed that, but this manipulation, this malice he saw in her interactions with others hadn't been there. Or perhaps he'd been too enamored to see it then. Not that it changed how he felt for her, how he desired to have her in his bed, at his side.

But the secrets from him, _that _he could not, _would not_ abide.

He found Katherine out by the pool; saw her tuck the phone back under the towel as she sensed his approach. The fact she rose and pressed her body up against his in greeting only solidified in his mind that she was hiding things from him.

"No secrets, was that not what we promised this time around?" Elijah asked, staring down at her as he grabbed hold of her wrists. He didn't hold them tightly, but kept a firm grip on them, the disappointment evident in his voice, his gaze.

"I could say the same to you, Elijah," Katherine replied, pulling away from him and he allowed her to do so, crossing his arms as he regarded her.

"I have been nothing but honest with you since we met in New Orleans." He had no secrets. Not anymore.

"Then how come I found out about a cure for vampirism from a nobody in Mystic Falls instead of _you_?" she demanded and he blinked, wondering for a moment what she was going on about.

He hadn't thought of the cure in centuries, had given up on it being an actual reality long ago. "What do you know of the cure?" he didn't mean it to sound like an accusation, but Katherine Pierce knowing of the cure was probably _not _a good thing. Nor was anyone from Mystic Falls. Elijah held up a hand before she could reply, seeing her indignant expression. "I haven't heard talk of a cure in more centuries than I can remember, Katherine. I honestly have not thought about it almost as long as that. It is not something I would have brought up because it isn't something I believe to truly exist."

"Then why are your sister and your brothers currently on a mission to try and get it?" she continued, pausing as she watched him. She must have seen the confusion in his expression because she seemed to let her guard down a little and stepped toward him. "You had no idea, did you? Did you know that Klaus had daggered Rebekah again? She's obviously not anymore, but he had done so."

Elijah clenched his fists at the thought of that. He should have taken the damn daggers with him but when it all had been going down with Alaric getting out of town had been the priority and then with Niklaus' supposed death…he hadn't desired to return to the town. The phone call from his brother letting him know he was fine had been enough. Elijah had needed the space from the family drama and wanted to do his own thing. How he wished Rebekah had been strong enough to get away from Klaus as well and head off to have her own life.

But she had always needed one of them around, wanted to be with one of them when they traveled, usually choosing Klaus and even when she didn't eventually their little sister always found her way back to him.

"What if we could get it first, Elijah? You know he'll want it for Elena since she's a vampire," Katherine told him, reminding him of that news he hadn't responded all that well to either. "So he can turn her back into a human and create more hybrids. It's going to be her or me, and I have no intention of giving up immortality with you." She reached up and brushed her fingers against his cheek. "But what if we get it first and bargain for my freedom? So that we don't have to hide from him, always worried about what he might do if he finds us?"

"Katherine," Elijah sighed, shaking his head. He couldn't go against his family in such a way. If they were looking for the cure he should call them and figure out exactly what was happening.

"Why don't we deserve our chance at happiness, Elijah?" she asked, pulling away from him. "Why does it always revolve around him?"

She grabbed her things and headed toward the house, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Family above all, wasn't it? Always and forever? Somewhere along the way those phrases had become skewed and Elijah didn't know if they would ever truly be what they were supposed to ever again. He stared out at the pool, watching the rays of sunlight dance along the water's surface and sighed again, knowing he had a lot to think about, a lot to consider. What was the right path this time?

Back at the house Katherine looked out the window, watching Elijah as he contemplated all that had been revealed. She grinned and plucked her phone out from under the towel, sending off a message. The doubt had been set in his head and she'd do what she could to help it fester and grow, getting him to see her side of things.

She would get her freedom and Elijah.

And if everything worked out how she wanted, Klaus would get nothing. Just as it should be.

* * *

To say Caroline was out of her element was an understatement, one that she was pretty sure had big red lights all around it, flashing brightly to showcase just how new she was to everything that was happening. From the outside the place had looked like a regular old bar, just another place in the new city in a language that she couldn't read, but she knew some of the labels in the window that were promoting different beers on tap. Even if the words weren't what she was used to seeing for them.

But she had known before they even stepped inside that this wouldn't be anything like the grill back home or even the bar they had been in earlier. Not with how she could smell the excess of blood from the car, had breathed it in, could practically taste it, and it had taken every ounce of control not to let her fangs descend at the smell.

The bouncer at the door let them in after a quick once over and she had a feeling he knew exactly what they were, though she kind of doubted that he knew who Klaus and Kol were by sight. Otherwise she was sure he'd have a healthy dose of fear about him because she could hear his heartbeat, could almost see the blood pumping through his veins. That was how alert she was to it all.

Kol left their side almost as soon as they got inside, heading off into the throng of people who were there. It was packed, something she really hadn't expected to see, and the amount of heartbeats mixing with the heavenly aroma was making it so incredibly hard for her to control her body. But she wouldn't give Klaus the satisfaction of her reaction and held it all in, forced down her own desires as she looked over at him before heading toward an empty booth.

She swallowed hard as she walked through the crowd, trying to slide between people before she sat down at the booth, eyes widening slightly when she realized that there were two vampires openly feeding on the girl in between them. What the hell had she gotten herself involved in?

Klaus slid into the booth beside her, sitting entirely too close to her for comfort, but she almost wanted his presence. If she was focused on that then she could almost block out everything else that was happening around them. "Owned by a witch like the other place we were at. However this one has the good sense to cater to our kind. She gets a little blood from those who order something to drink and her staff are as good as new after they've had a go," Klaus told her as he draped his arms on the back of the booth, looking out at the scene with a smile. "Some are compelled to forget, but most are paid quite handsomely for their service. Though, there is a chance of death each night. Never know when someone might lose control."

He dipped his head down, breath tickling her ear. "Would you like a bite?"

Caroline looked over at him, glaring in response. "Was this supposed to wow me or scare me?" she asked, turning her body so she could get a good look at him. "I'm not quite sure what you're going for here. If you wanted me to be at top form or whatever for when we see Lucy then we could have just gone and got some damn blood bags and there, _done. _Ready to go. But no, instead you're all adamant that we come here."

Klaus' smile wasn't at all pleasant as he looked at her but she didn't fear his reply. "It's supposed to do nothing more than _show you_ what this world has to offer. To expand your tiny horizons. All you know is your small town; that place in Virginia where you were born and where you _died. _Where you were reborn into something _greater_ and while you may have an amazing amount of control, Caroline, you fail to grasp that you too are a monster. That you need to feed. That you do yourself a disservice with those bags just as Stefan does with his bunny diet."

"I don't need to feed. I can survive on blood bags just fine and maybe it's not quite the same as directly from the vein but it does the job," she pointed out, hating that he tsked at her. She was so close to smacking him for that.

"You could acquire them with ease in Mystic Falls. Do you think it will be as easy a task here in this city? Or when we're traveling elsewhere and there isn't a hospital around for miles. Shall you take a bag or two from the local clinic, something that they might need the next day to save a patient that you just condemned to death because you were too afraid to feed?" Klaus mused and her retort died in her throat at his implication. She hadn't thought about those kind of consequences or the extra security measures that probably took place out of tiny Mystic Falls.

It was doubtful that the clinic or hospital staff was on vervain but taking a bag could result in dire consequences for someone else. "I'll just supplement when we're out of the big cities." That should be easy enough to do. Alcohol was something she could pretty much always get access to.

"And if it goes on longer than a few days and you finally reach your breaking point, killing the first person you attack because you didn't want to feed a little each day?" Klaus continued, beckoning for a server to step forward. "When the scent of it overwhelms you like it nearly did in New Orleans with that child at the pool?"

Or like it had before he had arrived when she had been with Kol?

_No._ She didn't feed from the vein. She didn't need to, she didn't want to. She was a _good vampire_ and she didn't go around eating and killing people. Not that he had really said she'd be killing except for when she lost control because of a lack of blood but _still, _she wasn't going to just change her ways, her morals, because he was able to play on some of her deeper fears. She wasn't going to let him manipulate her like that.

"Then I remove myself from the damn temptation," Caroline told him, turning away from him and looking out at the bar. "Like I am going to do right now."

She just needed to get out of the bar, to get out into the street and force herself to breathe through the need like Stefan had taught her. Klaus' hand on her arm, not gripping just a light touch had her pausing and she looked at him. "Has it ever crossed your mind that I am trying to help?" he inquired and she didn't like that look, she had seen it once before back at the ball when he had shown her his art, that earnest look that almost had her forgetting who he was and seeing an actual boy instead.

It wasn't exactly a facade but it wasn't who he was anymore either. Or perhaps it wasn't who he had been for a long time, a part of himself that he hadn't allowed to shine through in so very long and for some reason it seemed to peek out with her.

_You know the reason_. Even if she didn't want to give name to it.

"Do you think I want you to lose control, Caroline? To attack some bystander and kill them because you haven't had a drink in some time?" he continued and she looked away from him, sighing as she balled her fists in her lap. "I'd much rather you take your fill here, learn to enjoy and not fear doing so. To use moderation since it seems you're so keen on your meal not ending up dead. I can go either way really."

Caroline never got the opportunity to reply to him as a woman had approached them, waving off the server who had been on her way to the table. "If it isn't the infamous Klaus," she greeted as she stopped in front of the table. "You must be here for pleasure as you didn't bother murmuring your name to my current bouncer. No jolt of fear rushing through the place because you entered. Or are you getting soft in your older age?"

"Careful, Sylvie," Klaus warned, and while he smiled, Caroline could sense the threat behind it, the way he flashed his teeth at the woman in front of them. "You know how I react when I'm displeased."

"I remember your tantrum in '87 just fine," Sylvie replied, hands pressing down onto the table in front of them. "I would rather not lose half my people tonight so state your business and I'll help how I can."

"What do you know of the witch called Lucy in Amsterdam?" Klaus asked and Caroline sank back against the booth, realizing this outing hadn't just been to tempt her into feeding.

"She's part of an old Coven, though she's not from its branch. Different one though they all go back to a common ancestor," Sylvie replied, waving off another person who was coming by with complimentary drinks. "Powerful witch in her own right, with that Coven backing her she's even more so. Took over after Sanai finally passed."

"I'm well aware of how much power that witch potentially has at her disposal," Klaus replied, motioning for the drinks to come back and Sylvie sighed, beckoning the person back to the area.

She waited until the server deposited the drinks and left before continuing. "You always did seem to know more than you let on at times. The witch Ayana is her ancestor. Created more problems than solutions, but that seems to be what happens when you're solely focused on keeping the balance."

"And the Coven she's with now is also of that line?" Klaus continued as he picked up the drinks, placing one in front of Caroline.

She stared at it, could smell the blood that was in the drink and hated him for putting it within her reach. "There are a few branches of it, though none as powerful as the direct descendants, but they've got quite the punch and all together they're one of the more powerful groups in Europe. If not the entire world unless the direct line has created her own Coven of witches closely descended from the same line. But last I heard that kid is still in high school and learning the ropes," Sylvie replied.

Caroline snorted at that. High school attendance kind of seemed like a huge joke by that point for all of them and she wasn't sure if 'learning the ropes' really defined what all Bonnie had been doing. It was more like being thrown headfirst into the lion's den and only having a small knife to defend herself. Though her friend had showed she was more than capable of big spells, even if Caroline did think it was taking too much out of Bonnie at times.

"I know you've met your fair share of Covens, Klaus, but this one will pack more of a punch if Lucy utilizes it correctly. I would say try not to get on her bad side but something tells me that you already have," Sylvie continued, and Klaus shrugged.

Caroline broke her train of thought, noticing that Sylvie was looking at her. She didn't like the attention or the curious way she was being looked at. The last witch who had assessed her like that had ended up dead and she really didn't want Klaus killing anymore witches. Or really anyone.

"That'll be all," Klaus stated, effectively dismissing the witch and Caroline watched the woman walk away, pleased that she didn't glance back at them. She felt Klaus' gaze on her but she wouldn't look at him, tried not to look at the glass in front of her either. "What harm could a little sip do, Caroline?"

That had her glaring at him. "I don't want it. I don't want _any of it_."

Because this was more than her giving into one drink, she could tell that much. If she drank it then she was heading down a path that had dire consequences, just like enjoying the damn sightseeing with him. Doing those things equaled enjoying his company, equaled giving into a part of her that she didn't want to give hold to, one that was inexplicably drawn to the Hybrid sitting next to her. And that part had to be squashed like a bug, no matter how much it craved to be released.

"I'll be at the car," she muttered and flashed out of the door and into the cool night air.

Caroline tried to do the breathing technique, to push it all down and away, to regain control. She almost had it, almost had forced it all back down when the smell of blood hit her again like a ton of bricks. It wasn't from inside the bar, that she could push away.

No this was outside and it was much too close, calling for her to drink it, to down it all. Her fangs were out and she knew her veins were throbbing, her eyes darkening as she caught wind of the direction it was coming from. Her feet took her toward it before she could stop them; finding Kol out back with a woman in his arms, blood trailing down her neck as he drank.

He looked up at her, grinning brightly. "Hello, darling. Want a taste?"

No.

No no no.

"Abigail, be a dear and go see my friend, Caroline," he directed the woman, and Caroline stepped back as the woman looked at her and started to walk toward her, sweeping hair off her neck and exposing the wound. "You don't want it all to go to waste."

An arm grabbed Caroline around the waist, pulling her back against a body and before she knew it Caroline felt a blood wrist pressed to her mouth. She fought it for a moment, not wanting to drink but instinct prevailed and she bit into the flesh, drinking. She knew this blood, had tasted it before.

_Klaus_.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, still holding onto her tightly, letting her satiate her need with his blood.

"She looked hungry. I was only trying to help," Kol replied, tugging the woman back to him. "Besides, isn't that what you were wanting sweet, little Caroline to do, brother? Drink from the vein? I almost had her doing it."

"On _my terms_," Klaus growled, and her hands curled around his wrist, holding him there as she drank, drowning out their argument as she focused on the blood.

Moments later she was in the passenger seat of the car and Klaus was in the driver's side, starting it without Kol. She didn't ask about him, had a feeling he'd make his way back to the house on his own as Klaus started driving them back toward Amsterdam.

She had nearly drank from that woman, had nearly given in and let her bloodlust take control, something she hadn't done in ages. But she refused to break down in front of Klaus, to show that kind of weakness. She could feel him in her veins, running through her body and she remembered Stefan telling her how blood sharing was an intimate act between vampires. And hadn't she done that with Klaus twice now? Or did it not count because he hadn't had any of hers? Caroline wasn't too sure on how that worked and she wasn't about to ask.

And she felt so damn high, like she could take on the world with the blood that had rushed through her veins, satisfying her need to feed. How could she feel so damn good, so euphoric when she had nearly killed someone? It was too much to deal with right then and there and so Caroline attempted to block it all out, to try and compartmentalize every emotion and take back some of her control.

The journey back to the house was a silent one and when they got to the house she got out of the car and headed toward the house, not wanting to be near him. She needed a shower, she could feel the blood staining her face, knew it was there. _His blood_. She needed it off of her.

"Caroline," Klaus called out and she whirled around to face him, curls whipping in the wind.

"_No_. I am not talking to you right now. I don't care what your intentions were, how you _thought_ you were helping or whatever harebrained scheme you had in that head of yours," she told him, shaking with fury. "I need to not look at you for a few hours and sleep and shower and all of that. So leave me the hell alone until morning."

She stalked off at that, not giving him time to answer, though Caroline knew if Klaus had truly wanted to say something he could easily have stopped her. She headed straight to her room, easily bypassing Stefan and Rebekah and went straight to the shower. It wasn't until she was under the spray of it that Caroline finally allowed the tears to come, to release all of the pent up frustration with what had happened come out.

Caroline exited the bathroom nearly an hour later and wasn't exactly surprised to find the slip of paper waiting for her on the bed. She wrapped the robe tighter around her body, glancing around to make sure he wasn't still in the room. She expected to see her face, but she hadn't expected to see it with her vampire features on display.

She should have hated it, should have ripped it up into tiny pieces but instead she stared at it, sensing the fierceness of the girl in it, seeing the inner strength that Klaus had expertly captured. It was weird to look at that image and see the beauty in it when it was showing a monster. She didn't know what to do with it, how to deal with the mixed emotions stirring in her and so she put it down on the bedside table and turned off the light before curling up in the bed.

Everything would make sense in the morning. Or at least she'd get some sleep so she would have the strength to tackle all that had happened because Caroline knew that no matter what she had to pick herself up and face the next day. There wasn't any other option for her. She refused to let it all make her crumble and fall. She was stronger than that now.

Life might bend her, but it wouldn't break her. She wouldn't let it.


End file.
